


The Tournament

by orphan_account



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Multi, Tournament of Elements - Hunger Games AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-10
Updated: 2016-11-18
Packaged: 2018-03-17 06:39:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 12
Words: 50,848
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3519173
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Winning means fame and fortune. Losing means disappearing forever. The Tournament of Elements has begun.</p><p>As a child, he watched as his father fought to the death on live television. Now eighteen, Kai becomes an unwilling contender in the Tournament of Elements, a competition wherein the remaining Elementals must fight against each other in order to survive. To Kai, entering is a death sentence. But, with the help of a few allies, he may just make it through to the end. </p><p>Seventeen will enter, but the rules remain true:</p><p>Only one can remain.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Ritual

**Author's Note:**

> So, assuming you read the summary, this fic is essentially the Tournament of Elements with a Hunger Games feel to it. Enjoy!

He could never seem to fall asleep. He would spend the night tossing and turning, throwing off blankets, and even stripping down to nothing but his underwear. No matter what he did, the intense heat kept him awake at night, draining him of what little water he had through sweat.

His chest tightened and he shot up in his bed, coughing violently. Bloodstained fluid escaped his lungs, staining his sheets as he coughed his throat raw. As he did, he heard the curtain that separated the small house in two be thrown open, no doubt by his sister, Nya. That alone was enough to make him clamp his mouth shut, despite his heaving body as it tried to purge itself of the toxins that had settled in his lungs overnight.

Kai looked up to see Nya frowning at him from her side of the room. She rubbed her fist in a circle over her chest and nodded once, the traditional way of asking someone if they could breathe. He nodded in response, ignoring his lungs' complaints as he sucked in the dry air. It would only get worse over the course of the day, but he didn't care. He had more important things to worry about.

"How are you feeling?" Nya asked, voice quiet. Kai looked down at the pinking brand on the back of his right hand, a pit of anxiety forming in his stomach. He shook his head and met her eyes again.

"Could be worse," he admitted, shrugging his shoulders. Nya frowned, doubt present on her face as she spoke again.

"It's okay to be nervous, you know. Everybody is." Nya stood, marching toward the window. She pulled back the curtain and sunlight flooded the room, hurting Kai's eyes. "Come on, the ceremony is in two hours. You need to get ready."

Kai blinked. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier?"

"You were tossing and turning all night. I figured a few hours of decent sleep wouldn't hurt," she replied. Thinking back to the previous night, she wasn't wrong. He'd spent the night in a panic, fearing the ceremony and remembering the horror of the last. The previous ceremony, when his life was pulled out from under him. When he learned how detrimental the ceremony was, and how much worse the events were after. How much worse the Tournament was.

The ceremony was the Ritual. It took place every decade. Those eligible were forced to stick their branded hand in a fire, hoping it wouldn't glow as they took it out. If their brand glowed after retracting it from the flames, it was already too late for its owner. Their fate was sealed to two paths: never to be seen again, or to become a national celebrity. All this was determined by their performance in the Tournament.

The Tournament of Elements changed every year. Those chosen during the Ritual would be forced to enter, representing their element in what often ended as a fight to the death against complete strangers. Whatever happened within the Tournament was broadcasted for the entire nation to watch. It was celebrated across Ninjago, even in the Elemental Villages themselves. Kai had only been alive for one, but he could remember being forced to celebrate as his father fought for his life on live television.

Kai stood, shuffling over to the small dresser a few feet away from his bed. In the bottom drawer were his folded red V-neck and beige pants, his dad's old Ritual outfit. He knew Nya would be wearing the same dress his mother had worn many years ago, despite it being a few sizes too big. She would have to—they were required to dress formally for the Ritual and they couldn't afford to buy anything new.

"Do we have enough water?" Nya called, digging through her own drawers. Kai paused, thinking.

"Since we saved the rations, yes," he replied. They'd saved their water over the month, careful not to drink or use too much. Bathing properly took a lot of water—a lot of water they didn't have. Water was scarce in his home, rationed out to every household. The amount they got was well below the bare minimum their bodies required, but he supposed there was a point to that.

Walls blocked them in on every side. They couldn't leave their village, meaning everything had to be brought to them from the outside. This included water and food, along with everything else they needed to survive. It was his home, his village: it was the Fire Village.

Getting ready for the ceremony only took about an hour. Nya took less time than him, but he couldn't help it. His mind took any opportunity it had to lose focus on the task at hand and think of the upcoming Ritual, filling him with dread. He could only filter his thoughts to a point and they had long since passed it.

A bell sounded in the distance, not too far from their home. The bell announced the one-hour mark until the Ritual, meaning that most of the Fire Village would be on their way to the main square, where it was set up. They had to get going, especially if they were going to be there on time. Attendance was mandatory, even more so for Kai than for Nya. He qualified for the Tournament. She did not.

Nya pulled back the curtain that split their small house in two. The dress' skirt reached the floor, already soiled by the dirt that was tracked into their house. It was blatantly too big on her, but Nya didn't seem to care, striding across the room and opening the door. "Come on, we have to be there soon!"

Kai followed her out of the house and into the village, squinting his eyes at the bright sunlight. The Fire Village was known for its blistering heat, the sun burning anyone who stayed in its rays for too long. His father had told him that as Fire Elementals, they had natural immunity to heat, but he didn't believe him.

They arrived at the main square just on time. When Nya saw the rope separating the Fire Elementals from the non-Elementals, she froze, grabbing his wrist and stopping him from taking another step.

"Please don't go," she whispered, eyes wide and staring ahead. When Kai glanced over, he realized what she was staring at: the fire.

"Nya, I have to go," he said, and pulled free from her grasp. He put his hands on her shoulders, looking her in the eye. "Everything should be fine. They're not going to pick the same family twice in a row."

"You don't know that."

The bell rung again. He couldn't be late. Not to the Ritual. "Everything will be okay. Just try to relax, okay?"

She nodded, pushing Kai away. "Hurry up. I don't want to get you in trouble for being late."

Kai said goodbye and moved on. When he looked over his shoulder, Nya was gone, having disappeared into the crowd. He stared straight and focused on keeping his emotions under control as he walked towards his roped off section.

There weren't many Fire Elementals. Their Village only had around three hundred people living inside it, a small population, especially when compared to that of the Earth Village. From what Kai'd learned at school, most of them starved to death as kids, and those who didn't died before they turned thirty due to food and water shortages. There were too many people for the resources they were given and it was hurting them.

It made him kind of glad to have been born into a close-knit village, where everyone knew and supported each other when they could. When their father was chosen for the Tournament, leaving Kai and Nya orphaned, their neighbors had helped in any way they could, going so far as to offer them food and water until Kai was old enough to work inside the volcano.

Every Elemental Village supplied some sort of goods to the rest of Ninjago. His village provided Ninjago with gold, mined straight from the volcanic rock of their volcano. If he were lucky, he could move on to become a forger and turn the gold ore into bricks and coins. Until then, he just did what he had to to survive.

The rest of the village arrived soon after, filling up the empty gaps in the sections. Kai stood on his toes, trying to spot Nya in the other crowd, but another bell went off before he could, announcing the start of the Ritual.

A woman came forth on the stage before them. She smiled as she moved to the microphone, every movement smooth and elegant. Her eyes sparkled, complemented by the copious amount of makeup she was wearing. When she reached downstage, Kai had trouble seeing if her smile was real or not. It was always hard to tell with Patty Keys.

"Welcome!" she said, her voice filling the main square through the speakers. Her red dress was beautiful, with red and gold highlights falling down like ribbon. It was as though it existed only to mock them, showing them what they could never have. What Nya could never have, despite how many times she would ask for pretty dresses when she was younger. "It's been ten years since we've all gathered here to celebrate the Tournament of Elements, Ninjago's grandest and  _most certainly_  glorious competition! But first, a video created by this decade's Tournament Master himself, Master Chen!"

Chen didn't make a single appearance. A new video was played every decade; an advertisement for the Tournament to be viewed all over Ninjago, even in the Elemental Villages. It was traditional for the Tournament Master to make a brief appearance—Kai'd heard some of them went as far as to make the video about themselves—but the advertisement was all about the Tournament, and how it was going to be one they would never forget. The final few seconds made sure of that: Kai heard collective gasps all over the crowd, one coming from himself as he gaped in surprise.

A figure stood in darkness, blue eyes glowing and shadows concealing their identity. Then, in a single movement, they lifted their right hand. On the back of their hand was a glowing snowflake: the symbol of the long-dead Ice Elementals.

It was impossible. The Ice Elementals had been killed by gas bombs, executed for their violent rebellion against the non-Elementals after threatening to encase Ninjago in ice. They were gone. There couldn't be another one, not after all those years—their line was finished.

"What a . . .  _lovely_ surprise!" Patty exclaimed, clapping at the end of the advertisement. It was customary for the villagers to clap, but the audience remained silent. Even Kai couldn't bring himself to move. The video had been too big of a shock, especially after he'd been raised on stories of their failure. "I'm sure this Tournament will be  _very_ interesting. Without further ado, let the Ritual begin!"

Drums were played and the fire onstage burned brighter. Beside it rested a glass orb filled with slips of paper with the eligible competitors' names written on them. Once his name was called, Kai would go up on the stage and stick his right hand in the fire. If his brand glowed, he would be chosen to become a competitor in the Tournament of Elements. If it didn't, he would live on and be forced to celebrate as a villager was sent off to their forthcoming death.

Patty stuck her hand in the orb and pulled out a slip. 

She called out the name of a girl a few grades older than him. The girl moved onto the stage with grace, then placed her hand inside the fire. Nothing happened.

She left the stage and Patty reached back into the orb, drawing another name slip. She held it out in front of her, taking what felt like forever to read the name. When she did, his stomach dropped.

"Kai Smith!"

Everything after that became automatic. His body moved as his mind commanded it to stay put—to stay away from the Ritual's fire. But his legs kept moving; they kept bringing him closer to the fire, weaving him through the small crowd and up the stage steps. As he stepped onto the stage, he realized he'd never seen anything more beautiful than the fire before him. It called to him, warming his skin as he approached it. Kai stood directly behind the fire, facing the audience, and plunged his hand into the flames.

The fire seared his scarred skin and he screamed. The flames exploded into the sky, erupting around his hand as they burned hotter than ever before. As they did, he could see the lines of the brand on his hand begin to glow, the bright color coursing through it like a river.

It was over almost as soon as it had begun. The fire died immediately, leaving nothing but coals in a metal chamber. Kai clutched his right hand in his left, watching it with glassy eyes as it sunk in.

His brand was glowing.

He was entering the Tournament.

* * *

The couch was one of the softest things he'd ever had the luxury of sitting on. The room itself was better than what even the richest had in the Fire Village, fit for a king. He had to resist the temptation to take off his shoes and feel the plush of the shaggy carpet between his toes, like he used to with the dry grass outside. Kai traced a finger along the velvet, drawing things as the velvet darkened at his touch. He couldn't believe that all it was for was saying goodbye.

The door at the end of the room was thrown open. "Kai!"

He jumped up from his spot on the couch, running to his sister and enveloping her in a tight hug. They stayed like that, Nya's face buried in his shoulder. Her body was trembling and he could feel her tears soaking through his right sleeve.

"Please,  _please_ win," she breathed.

Kai couldn't think of anything to say. The chances of him winning were so slim they were almost laughable. The other Elemental Villages trained their children to use their powers as weapons, teaching them from birth how to hurt others with their abilities. Kai could only create small flames with his hands, along with the basics of swordplay from when he was younger. He was going to die and there was no doubt about it.

Still, he couldn't leave his sister without promising to try.

"I—I'll try my best, I—"

"Don't be like dad," Nya said frantically, pulling away from him. Her eyes were swollen and her face was red and puffy, showing a side to her he hadn't seen in a long time. She hadn't cried around him since after the previous Ritual, no matter how sad he knew things made her. "You  _have_ to kill. I don't care if they're your best friend or some eleven year-old—if you don't, I'll never see you again."

"I will if it comes down to it, okay?"

It was inevitable. No one left the Tournament alive without blood on their hands. In the end, the only way to not kill was to be killed yourself. It was kill or be killed and Kai yearned for neither option.

A loud whapping was heard on the wooden door. Knowing she was going to be taken away soon, Nya hugged him again, so hard Kai could barely breathe. The door behind Nya was thrown open, revealing two tattooed individuals carrying spears. The Tournament Master always had his own guard to watch over the Elemental Villages during the Tournament, but these were different from what they were usually like. They usually sported black, taking on menacing appearances to play on their fear. These two, with their bare chests and painted faces, didn't match with those he'd seen before. They weren't very threatening, if not at all.

They ripped Nya away from him. She struggled, crying again as she was dragged out of the room. Before they closed the door, he heard her shout, "Don't forget who you are, Kai!"

The door slammed shut. Kai sat back down on the couch slowly, staring at the door. Nya was gone and he didn't even get to say goodbye. She was gone and he was never going to see her again. His sister was gone and—

His thoughts were interrupted by the door opening. Three Tournament guards entered the room, two branching off to the side while one stood in the center. The center guard spoke clearly, his voice one of authority. "You have no more visitors. Follow us."

Kai did as he was told. Before he left the room he stole a glance at it, hoping to burn the picture of it into his mind. The more memories of Nya and what she had said he had, the better. The two guards moved in behind him, blocking his view as they shoved him forward and out of the room.

He struggled to keep a level head as they marched him through the halls. He wanted nothing more than to scream and cry and hit the guards and burn the building down to the ground. Whatever rational thought he had left kept him from breaking.

They forced him down a small flight of stairs and into a dimly lit tunnel. Their footsteps echoed throughout the structure with each step on the concrete, something Kai was able to find solace in. It was a rhythm; something to distract his mind with, even if it would only last for a few short, blissful moments.

There was no light at the end of the tunnel. They went up a flight of stairs, stopping at two metal doors so the main guard could input a code. The small keypad flashed green at his entry and the door slid open, filling the tunnel with light. Kai blinked a few times to get used to the brightness as he left the tunnel, setting foot on a wooden train platform. The only thing between him and that train was a crowd of people, all carrying cameras and screaming his name.

The guards pushed them out of his way as they guided him toward the train. Even with their support, it was hard to ignore their words.

"Fire! What to you think about the Ice Elemental?"

"Do you think you have what it takes to win?"

"Will you do better than last Tournament's Fire competitor?"

The last one hit his ears as Kai was pushed into the train. Upon entering, he was hit with a wall of cold air, sending shivers across his body. The metal door slid shut behind him, making him jump at the sudden noise. What little heat had entered the train vanished soon after, pushing Kai to move down the small train car.

The walls were painted a fading red, dull compared to the intensity of the cherry-colored carpet beneath his feet. As he moved down, he passed a few wooden doors, but he barely paid any attention to them. His focus was on the window he passed, watching as the train pulled away from the station. In the distance, he could see specks of brown and gold littering the base of the volcano. They soon became a blur and the Fire Village disappeared from view. At that moment, blinking back tears was the hardest thing he'd ever done.

It didn't take long for the volcano to disappear out of sight, too. Once it did, Kai forced himself to look away from the window and move on. Thinking wasn't going to get anything done.

He walked to the end of the small train car. There was a small door, but when Kai tried to open it, it wouldn't budge. Frowning, he tried to peer through the windows, only to find them tinted to stop him from seeing through. Defeated, Kai turned and opened the wooden door to one of the small rooms. He froze at what he saw.

Beyond the doorframe was a small room. A bed rested against the back wall, simple but more luxurious than the one he had at home. The landscape whizzed by in the large window at the back wall. Neither of those were what paralyzed him.

In the center of the room was an elegant, circular wooden table.

And on it, a glass of water.


	2. The Train

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to formally apologize for taking so long to update. I tend to have on-and-off writer's block with this story-it probably has something to do with me changing my writing style for it-and it's most likely going to take around a month per chapter. I hope you guys stick around nonetheless! (I have big plans for this fic!)

That night, Kai fell asleep with ease. It had been the first time in years, bringing him back to when his father was alive and he could afford to keep his house cool during the night. Sleeping, however, meant having dreams. And to Kai, having dreams meant having nightmares.

His eyes snapped open, taking in his dim surroundings. He wasn’t at home, with the same room he’d become to accustomed to waking up in. After a blurred moment of confusion, Kai remembered where he was: the train to the Tournament.

Thinking of it wasn’t distraction enough from his pounding heart and trembling body. The dream was still fresh in his mind, its presence doing nothing to help the knot of fear in his stomach. Kai sat up, taking in deep breaths to try and calm down. The covers were hanging off the side of the bed, no longer covering his feet and leaving them victim to the cold air of the train. He’d been kicking in his sleep, apparently.

It wasn’t as much of a dream as it was a nightmare. Sometimes, Kai still woke up screaming for him to fight back.

The rest of the night was a blur. He sat against the backboard of the bed, knees tucked into his chest, as the fear of the night terror and the fear of the future seemed to coalesce into one.

His head snapped up at the sound of knocking on the door. When he didn’t respond, the knocking continued, growing louder each time. Kai buried his head further into his knees, hoping to drown out the noise.

“I hope you’re awake, Kai!” a cheery voice shouted through the door. Kai groaned when he realized whom it was: Patty. “You have a big day today!”

“Doing what?” he called, not moving. His door was locked and he came to the decision that if what she promised didn’t interest him, he wouldn’t leave. There was nothing she could do about it.

“I have the whole schedule right here but I _refuse_ to speak to you like this! _Open the door_!”

With a groan, Kai stretched out his legs and slid off the bed. The cup with the water was still there, filled to the brim. It was put there to mock him, so he refused to touch it.

Kai opened the door. Patty stood on the other side of the doorframe, holding a clipboard in her hands. Kai nodded to it. “What’s on it?”

“We can talk about your schedule over breakfast. The train only arrives in Ninjago City after dinner, so it gives us plenty of time to do everything that’s required. Before we begin, however, I need you to promise to be on your best behavior. You’ll be meeting with your stylist and making a good first impression is _very_ important. Can you _promise_ me that you’ll be cooperative?”

“I can try."

Patty breathed out slowly. “It’s alright, we can work with that. Follow me, breakfast is ready.”

Patty turned left and walked briskly down the hall, not waiting to see if Kai had followed her. He did, striding down the hall in order to keep up with her fast pace. Though he had barely spoken to her, her ways of doing things became clear to him: it was all about efficiency. The more efficient something was, the better.

She was going to hate him.

“Right through here.” Next to the door Kai had tried to open the previous night was a black square made of glass. Patty slid a keycard over it and the door slid open, allowing them to pass through into the next train car. He didn’t know if he was angry or not that they were keeping him confined to one car when he was alone. Then again, other competitors had likely done desperate things to escape their fate. Keeping them locked in the cars only made sense.

It was hard to believe it was a train car. The carpet was soft beneath his feet as he observed it, taking in the wallpaper and chandelier hanging from the ceiling. Underneath the chandelier was a wooden table that stretched across the length of the car, far too large for the meager two that would be sitting there. On a wall opposite of the table was a television mounted on the wall, its screen dark and inactive. The door shut behind him and startled him back to attention.

He sat across from Patty, looking over the immense amount of food laid out over the table. On platters were an assortment of fruit, pastries, soups, and cereals, all making Kai’s stomach grumble loudly. Patty laughed. “You must be hungry. You can eat whatever you want; it’s all here for you.”

He nodded in response, but instead of indulging himself with whatever looked best, he chose a variety of fruit and a soup he didn’t recognize. With the Tournament coming up, he needed to be as healthy as he could. However, the thought alone wasn’t enough to stop him from grabbing a roll off a platter and biting into it, savoring its sweet flavor. He had just begun on his fruit when Patty began speaking again.

“After breakfast you will be getting dressed and meeting with your prep team. Your stylist will be meeting with you once you’re ready. Don’t waste their time; they only have a few hours to design and create your costume for the Opening Ceremonies. If you’re lucky, you’ll have time to watch the other Rituals before we arrive in Ninjago City. Do you understand?”

“I do,” he said, stuffing a strawberry in his mouth. He reeled back at its bittersweet taste, trying his hardest not to spit it out. They had seemed sweeter when he was younger.

Patty didn’t bother him for the remainder of breakfast. It didn’t take long for him to finish his fruit and he wished he had slowed down, knowing he wouldn’t be taking anymore. The soup he had taken filled his mouth with its flavor, reminding him of the breakfasts he used to have as child. He remembered its name as he took in spoonful after spoonful: miso soup.

After he finished, Patty hurried him out of the car. Instead of going back to the living quarters, he was taken into another car, this one empty except for a metal table in the middle. Patty then said goodbye, scanned her keycard on the black glass, and slipped out of the car.

He sat down on the metal table, observing the room. There was nothing else in the room. Kai closed his eyes, listening to the thumping cadence of the train. Aside from it, there were no other sounds, and Kai felt peaceful for the first time since he stepped on the train.

Loud footsteps were what announced his stylist’s arrival. Kai looked up from his feet and saw a man walking over to him, not stopping until he stood in front of Kai. He stuck out his hand and Kai reluctantly shook it.

“Ah,” he said, eyes crinkling with his smile, “you must be Kai, the Fire competitor. A pleasure to meet you—I’m Lou.”

Lou was sharply dressed, even holding a cane for accessory in his hand. He had dark skin and even darker eyes, with graying, black hair neatly combed to the side. He was older than any of the stylists he’d seen before. Why had he become a stylist so late in his life?

He released his grip on Kai’s hand and circled him, humming as he did. Once he finished, he squared himself in front of Kai and stared deeply into his eyes. After a few moments, he breathed out slowly, shutting his eyes.

“You’re the son of the last Fire competitor.” It was a statement, and although he’d been told countless times how much he looked like his father, it was the way he said it that unnerved him. The only way he could have known was if he knew his father before—something impossible for a stylist. They were changed every Tournament.

“How do you know?” Kai asked. Lou shook his head.

“A stylist never shares their secrets, Kai,” he said, amusement in his voice. "Now, on to the topic at hand: your costume. When I was chosen to be your stylist, I prepared by watching videos of past Opening Ceremonies. I payed close attention to the old Fire competitor outfits, and I'm at a bit of a loss here. How can you make an element like fire look so  _boring_?"

He was right. The continuous theme for the Opening Ceremonies outfits was gold, and the stylists had been stealing ideas from each other for centuries. Despite being a destructive element, the Fire Elementals rarely ever won the Tournament, so they were always given the worst stylists.

Maybe Lou was different.

“You see, Kai, us stylists aren’t given a whole lot of time to create your outfits. What you’re wearing tonight will be made within six hours and I somehow have to find a way to represent both you _and_ your Elemental Village within that time. You may as well sit down—I’ll be asking you quite a lot of questions.”

Kai sat down on the metal table, legs swinging off the edge. “Why do you care? Aren’t you just going to steal the other designs, like every stylist does?”

Lou laughed. “Not exactly, no. I used to be a performer, and if you want to do well in that business, you need to be _unique_. I know about originality, trust me,” he said. “If I want to represent what you stand for, I’ll need to know more about you, Kai. Why don’t you tell me a bit about yourself?”

“I don’t know what to tell you.”

“You don’t have much of a personality, do you?” Lou teased, chuckling under his breath. “I know from your father that your mother died when you were four. How?”

Kai swallowed. He barely even knew his mom, but he could remember her coughing. His father hadn’t spoken much about her after she died, but he was able to piece together how at a young age.

“It was something in her lungs. It’s from the gas in the volcano, I think. I—I have it, too,” he mumbled, staring down at his lap for the last part. The sickness wasn’t uncommon, but he’d still gone out of his way to make sure his father never knew. He couldn’t do that to him—not after his mom.

“Tell me more about your family, Kai. Who else is there?”

“My sister, Nya. She’s only sixteen,” he replied. He hated talking about himself, so he moved the conversation to Lou. “Do you have a family?”

“I have a son,” he said, eyes gazing upwards. “He’s an Earth Elemental, too. Not that I’ve ever known him or anything.”

“How could you not—” Kai cut himself off. He couldn’t believe that he’d been so stupid and not seen it. Lou had been a Breeder, obviously.

To the non-Elementals, Breeding was the lowest form of livelihood possible. A Breeder’s job was to bear a child with an Elemental in order to keep their line going, all for some quick money. Some Breeders, like Kai’s mother, chose to stay in the Elemental Village and start a family. Even if it helped spark love in certain cases, it still was frowned upon. Anything to do with working with the Elementals was considered lowly. Unless, of course, it was the Tournament.

“I’m not here to talk about myself,” Lou said sternly. “What happened after your father was killed in the Tournament?”

He told him. He told him of how they’d been forced to sell everything they had left of their parents, of the starving nights, and of the relief he’d felt on his eighteenth birthday when he was finally old enough to work inside the volcano. Lou listened patiently and nodded in encouragement whenever Kai stopped speaking to remember.

After asking Kai a few more questions about his Village, Lou seemed content enough with what information he’d been given. “That will be enough. I should be seeing you later before the Opening Ceremonies,” he said, and turned to walk out. He slid his keycard over the black panel, but before he left, looked over his shoulder and said, “Oh, and I think you’d look _much better_ in red than in gold.”

* * *

Patty met with him once again in the dining car to watch a rerun of the Rituals, just as she had promised. They sat beside one another at the dining table, staring at the television on the opposing wall and idly sipping tea as they waited for it to begin. This was his first look at the other competitors. If he were lucky, their reactions to being chosen will be enough for him to decide whom to stay away from during the Tournament. Some of them could even be potential allies.

Alliances were common in the Tournament. Though the Tournaments often consisted of one-on-one battles, there was always something special planned for the final eight. That was when the alliances truly shone, and the allies would target those who were alone. The allies would eventually have to turn on one another, however, and it was the lethal edge that caused competitors to refuse to take part of them in the first place.  

Kai had since changed into something he’d found in the room he’d slept in. He’d gone with Lou’s words and worn red, and he couldn’t say that Lou had been wrong, even if he felt the scarlet color was too vibrant.

The commercials came to an end and a stage came into view on the TV. Standing in front of a large screen was Dareth Marriott, the famous announcer and interviewer for the Tournament. It was going to be his second year, meaning that the crowds liked him enough the first time to vote for him to come back again. His ego and annoying personality was apparently entertaining enough for people to go see him live.

He started with an opening speech about how excited he was for the Tournament of Elements, and how he hoped it would be even better than last year’s. Kai couldn’t have cared less about what he had to say, but his jokes were making Patty laugh shamelessly, even if they were horribly bad.

Relief overcame him when they began to play the Rituals. The first few went by in a flash; a man with big, frizzy hair from Sound, a willowy girl from Poison, and a teenager named Jay from Lightning. Kai’s stomach churned at the thought of killing a teenager, so he instead focused on the commercial being played, hoping to take his mind off the idea.

The commercial was for Borg Industries, the Tournament’s official sponsor. They were responsible for nearly every technological advancement Ninjago had made in the past decade. With their involvement, he was sure the Tournament was going to be more interesting than it had ever been before.

“Its creator is a complete shut-in, from what I hear,” Patty said, watching the screen. “Only his inner circle is allowed to see him. I can’t even _imagine_ what he does, sitting all alone up in that giant tower of his.”

 _Why would someone who had isolated himself for so long sponsor the Tournament?_ Kai thought, watching as the commercial came to an end. It changed back to Dareth, who continued on with the Rituals after a short recap of what had already been shown. He moved on quickly, which Kai was grateful for. He didn’t know how may more of Dareth’s jokes he could take.

Out of the rest shown, there were only a few competitors that caught his eye: a stocky, young adult from Earth, a girl from Amber who looked almost as arcane as her element, and a man with gray skin from Shadow. Upon being chosen, the Shadow competitor raised his brand to the audience, a pleased smile on his face. They cheered.

Along with Form, Poison, and Smoke, the Shadow Village took pride in the Tournament. They saw it as the contest for glory those outside of the Villages thought it was, and they often trained their children from a young age to use their abilities as weapons. That way, they were almost guaranteed to win, and it put other Elemental Villages such as Kai’s own at a disadvantage. If Kai were to fight against one of them, he’d need to be smart—a wrong move could mean certain death.

The screen faded to black. For a moment, Kai thought the rerun had finished, but it instead showed the footage of the Ice Elemental Kai had seen at his own Ritual the previous day. This time, however, the Ice Elemental stepped out of the shadows, revealing themself to be a man around Kai’s age with piercing blue eyes and pale skin. Four large, white words were displayed across the screen:

_ZANE JULIEN: ICE COMPETITOR._

There was something off about Zane. It could have been fake, but Kai could have sworn that Zane’s eyes were still glowing, even in the light. There was something unnatural about him that made him mesmerizing to look at, and Kai felt disappointed that he couldn’t pinpoint it by the time Zane disappeared from the screen.

According to Patty, there was one more competitor to be shown. The traditional Tournament of Elements had only fifteen competitors, and Kai had been expecting sixteen with Zane, but seventeen? The only other Elemental he could think of was Water, but they has died long before the Tournament was even _established._ Who else could there be?

A picture blew up on the screen and Kai felt sick. A young boy—he looked as though he was ten—stood front and center in the photo. He had a round face and messy, sandy blonde hair that reached past his ears. Jay suddenly didn’t seem so young anymore.

Much like Zane’s, his name and element were displayed across his picture:

_LLOYD GARMADON: ENERGY COMPETITOR._

_Garmadon_. The name felt familiar, bearing weight in his mind. Where had he heard that name before?

Choosing to forget about it, Kai turned to Patty. “How old is he?”

“From what I’ve been told, eleven,” she replied.

Dareth moved on to analyze the competitors, but Kai couldn't get the news out of his mind. Two new competitors with elements thought dead or unheard of. A teenager, a child, and a bunch of adults.

Although he was dreading the Tournament, Chen was right. It was going to be interesting.


	3. The Opening Ceremonies

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, there’s a lot more of Kai’s genuine personality in this one. You’ll see how it comes out as he meets more people, I guess. Thanks for all your nice comments and views and such!

Ninjago City shone in the skyline outside of the window. Then the train pulled into a tunnel and everything went dark.

The train pulled into Ninjago City just after dinner. Although it was nighttime, the city was alive and awake when most of his village would have been inside their homes. He couldn’t see much of it from the train’s window, but beyond the crowds at the train platform, he could see glimpses of the city. He’d have to find somewhere where he could get a good look at it later.

A throng of people crowded the platform, cheering wildly as the train pulled to a stop. A wall of Tournament Guard blocked them from getting too close.

The door to the dining car opened. The three guards that had brought him to the train from the visiting room marched in, breaking Kai away from the scene outside. A moment passed before the leader spoke. “Fire, come with us.”

Kai hesitated. “Where are we going?”

“The preparation center for the Opening Ceremonies,” the leader replied. He said no more and Kai walked forward, following them as they lead him out of the train and to a walkway where the only thing separating the crowds from him was a thick, velvet rope. They called for him; Kai stared straight, concentrating on the necks of the guards before him. But he could still hear them. 

_Fire! Fire! Fire!_

They didn't even care enough to use his name.

Kai let out a breath when the doors to the preparation center closed behind him. He was met with the wing of a beast and he stumbled backward, barely catching himself before he fell to the ground. He looked up slowly, seeing the full creature in its massive, sublime form.

It was a dragon.

A guard placed his hand on Kai’s back, steering him away from it. As he shakily walked, he saw more, all being attended to by workers. The dragons were hooked up to chariots, the reins in the hands of their caretakers. Beside the chariots were, Kai realized, the other competitors and their stylists. He craned his neck to try and catch glimpses of them, but the guards blocked his view, carefully leading him to his own chariot.

Lou awaited him there, a welcoming smile on his face. The guards dispersed at Lou’s word, leaving the two of them with their chariot and dragon. Kai casted quick glances at the other dragons he could see, finding them all to be of different color schemes. Kai’s was red—the color of fire. Maybe Lou had picked it.

“You were the last train to arrive, so we have just a little under an hour to get you ready,” Lou said, grabbing the clothing rack next to him. Kai tried to pay attention to Lou, but his thoughts were on the other competitors and their stylists. Near his chariot were Earth and Metal, and from what Kai could overhear, the Earth competitor was missing. Earth’s stylists were speaking frantically with guards, whom nodded and moved on, undoubtedly going to search for the missing competitor.

There were two costumes on the clothing rack. One was red, and the other gold. Kai frowned. One person couldn’t wear two costumes at once.

“Put this on,” Lou instructed, handing Kai a red unitard. He felt it in his hands, taking in the thick fabric and burgundy highlights. Kai looked down at himself, suddenly hyperaware of everyone that could be watching him. He voiced his concerns to Lou, who then, busy with what looked like a sketchbook, pointed a finger absentmindedly at the wall closest to them. “There should be changing rooms over there.”

Kai was in and out quickly. When he returned, Lou began going over what Kai would be doing during the Opening Ceremonies. The dragon-pulled chariots would bring him down a large path to the city’s main circle, where whatever Chen had planned for them would await. The parade meant putting on an act. The idea wasn’t something Kai was too fond of.

Lou was about to explain Kai’s costume when a small whimper was heard from the other side of the chariot. Curious, Kai hushed Lou and peeked around, trying to find the source of the noise. Kai’s heart skipped a beat at the realization of who it was.

It was the Earth competitor.

He should have told Lou. Maybe even the guards. But he didn’t, and he had no idea of what compelled him to sit down next to his competition and ask him if he was all right.

At his question, the Earth competitor turned his head to stare at him, hair sweeping into his eyes. Kai held his gaze through the strands of dark hair, not moving. After a few moments of silence, the Earth competitor dropped his head, sighing. “I’m fine. Just a little scared.”

The Earth competitor didn’t look like the kind of person to be afraid of anything. He had deep brown skin, and a spare, muscular figure, which alone was enough for Kai to fear conflict with him. He was sure a punch from him could shatter bones.

Still, he continued. “Why are you scared?”

The Earth competitor shifted uncomfortably in his spot on the floor, adjusting the way he was sitting against the chariot’s wheel. “The dragons.”

“Oh,” Kai said. “What’s your name?”

“Cole,” he replied, not looking up from his knees. Each breath he took in shuddered, accompanying his trembling body. Kai looked away. He hated seeing people like this.

“Why do they scare you?”

“They’re monsters,” Cole said. “Huge, terrifying monsters.”

Kai’s eyes found themselves on the fire dragon. With its shining, red scales and long body, it was more beautiful than terrifying. If only Cole could see it, too.

He had no reason to help him get over his fear—Cole was his competition, after all.

He did anyway.

“They’re only really as scary as you make them out to be,” Kai said. “Look around. These dragons are under control. There’s nothing they can do to hurt you.”

Cole contemplated it, visibly calmer than he had been a minute ago. He sighed, then mumbled to himself,  _"There's nothing they can do, there's nothing they can do, there's nothing they can do."_

"Do you think you can get up? Your stylist is looking for you, you know," Kai said. "You should probably go back before they freak out."

Cole nodded. Kai stood up and offered him a hand, nearly falling to his knees at the sheer force Cole used to pull himself up. Cole, not bothering to say thank-you, mumbled a goodbye and disappeared around the chariot. When Kai followed, he was gone.

Lou raised an eyebrow at him upon his return. A question. _What happened?_

Kai shook his head. He felt like Cole would appreciate keeping their conversation a secret.

Thankfully, Lou didn’t press the matter and moved on to explaining Kai’s costume. The way he started off didn’t give Kai any assurance that he was going to survive the Opening Ceremonies.

“When I was chosen to be your stylist, I did a lot of research,” Lou began, “and I learned something I found quite interesting about the Fire Elementals: you can’t be hurt by your own fire. If you can’t be hurt by it, why not use it?”

Kai didn’t understand what Lou had meant until he was dressed and about to step on his chariot. Lou had given him a thin gold suit to wear over his unitard, along with a cape stuffed underneath that would come out when the suit was disposed of. Lou’s method of disposing the suit, however, made Kai want to run.

“When your chariot leaves the building, use your fire on your suit,” Lou instructed. “The suit will catch fire, but the costume won’t, so don’t worry about winding up naked at the end.”

A nod was all Lou needed to step away. Kai stared ahead of him, watching as the first competitors were pulled out of the preparation center by their dragons. A large screen displayed the times until each competitor would enter the parade, each second waxing Kai’s nervousness. Thirty seconds until he departed.

A cough from Lou drew his attention away from the screen. “Oh, and Kai,” he said, a sly look on his face, “remember to smile.”

The chariot lurched beneath him, nearly sending him tumbling out. He caught the sides, holding on tightly as his dragon moved forward. Kai glanced at the screen: ten seconds.

He was one of the few competitors remaining in the building. The large road beyond the entranceway loomed before him, full of light, blitz, and the roars of the audience. Trumpets and timpanis played, the sound reverberating in Kai’s chest. He only had a second to enjoy it before the dragon shifted again, pulling him out of the preparation center and into the spotlight.

Remembering what Lou had told him, Kai flicked his wrist, hoping to ignite his fire.

Nothing happened.

He flicked both his wrists, cursing under his breath. Igniting his fire had been easy back in the Fire Village—why was it failing now?

His heart skipped a beat once he registered the answer. It wasn’t working _because_ he wasn’t in the Fire Village; it was colder in Ninjago City, and without the heat to help him, he couldn’t even make a spark.

Foregoing his name, the audience began to chant his element. _Fire! Fire! Fire!_

_They didn’t even know his name._

They didn’t really care about him, did they? No, they didn’t. They just wanted a show. In the end, he was just going to become another Fire Elemental to throw at the Tournament. Another body.

He didn’t want to die off like everyone else before him. When he died, he wanted to be remembered. He wasn’t going to be another Fire competitor.

If they wanted a show, he would give them one.

Kai flicked his wrist. Flames enveloped his right hand, burning brighter than they had ever burned before. He pressed his hand to his stomach without hesitation.

Upon seeing his suit catch fire, the audience burst into applause, cheering louder than they had for the other competitors. Kai looked down on himself. The fire had spread to the rest of his suit, turning it to ashes before his very eyes. Above the music, Kai could hear it: _Kai! Kai! Kai!_

Following Lou’s advice, he smiled and waved to the audience, drawing in their energy. Once his suit had burned away, it left nothing but the costume underneath and his cape, which was, to his surprise, still on fire. He could feel its warmth but he wasn’t being burned. Maybe that knowledge would help him later on.

His chariot pulled into the city circle, where the other competitors’ chariots had formed a semi-circle before a tall building with many balconies. The two final chariots arrived soon after, slowing to a halt beside him. He eyed the other competitors, taking in their real appearances for the first time. When Kai spotted Cole, they locked eyes and Cole mouthed the words _thank you._

Everything fell silent when Master Chen revealed himself on the lowest balcony.

"What a  _beautiful_  ceremony! I applaud all of you  _and_ your stylists for their work." Chen observed the competitors, eyes deep-set and calculating. Kai turned his head when their gazes met. "I would like to  _personally_ welcome you to Ninjago City, the capital of Ninjago itself, and your home for the next few days. Though I know it will be hard, try not to fear the upcoming Tournament—Ninjago City is a place of luxury and you are its guests!"

The audience broke out into applause. Once again, Kai exchanged a look with Cole. How were they supposed to stay calm when sixteen of them would be dead within two weeks?

Kai turned back to Chen. It was then, with the cheers and chants of the audience deafening him, that he descried one thing:

Chen was watching him.

* * *

The chariots brought the competitors to the ground level of a skyscraper in the center of the city. Kai shakily stepped off, using the chariot’s side for support. He frowned upon seeing the other competitors. They had their stylists and escorts with them, so where were his?

His question was answered by a tight hug. Patty released him soon after, stepping back to fall into place beside Lou. “You were just _amazing_!” she gushed, and smiled in Lou’s direction. “All thanks to you, of course.”

Lou didn’t share her enthusiasm. His eyebrows furrowed, and he asked sternly, “What happened out there? You missed your cue.”

The harshness of Lou’s tone left Kai struggling to find words. “I couldn’t ignite my fire,” he said, speaking too fast. He sounded panicked. “It was too cold, and I—”

“No excuses,” Lou snapped. “Can you do it now?”

A flick of his wrist and a small fire had settled in his palm. Kai smiled in relief—at least it still worked.

“Good,” Lou said, stepping back. “You wouldn’t survive without it.”

Patty frowned at Lou. “Don’t discourage him,” she scolded, and then faced Kai. “Why don’t we go upstairs to your suite? You’ll _love_ it.”

Though Patty offered for Lou to join them, he declined, saying he had business elsewhere. Patty and Kai maneuvered through chariots, and as they did, Kai caught sight of as many competitors as he could, taking them in again once more. Among them was Lloyd, who looked even younger in person than he did on television. Kai couldn’t stare for long—the sickly feeling in his gut had grown too strong.

Inside a small hallway, away from the main room, were four elevators. Patty pressed a button on the wall and a set of doors opened, inviting them inside of a small chamber. Once inside, Patty selected a button with the Fire symbol on it, matching that of his brand. Each button had an Elemental symbol on it, so Kai was quick to assume that each competitor would have their own floor. The only three other buttons were RC, R, and T, but only the R had a label: Rooftop. At least there was somewhere he could go if he needed a break.

The doors were about to close when a hand stopped them. They slid open again, revealing a man his age with gelled-up blond hair and a waifish figure. When he looked up, revealing glowing, blue eyes, it dawned on him who it was: Zane, the Ice Elemental.

Kai stepped back, allowing room for him. Patty took the liberty of pressing the button with the snowflake, for which Zane promptly thanked her for, despite his looking out of breath. Why was he in such a hurry?

When their eyes met, Zane smiled. “Your name is Kai, correct?”

Kai couldn’t help smiling back, even if he hated small talk. “Yeah, it is.”

“I liked your costume,” Zane said, looking down on his own. He wore a series of white and blue robes, giving off the feeling of a god. “It quite outshined mine, if I’m to be honest. I doubt they paid attention to anyone but you.”  

“Oh. Uh, thanks,” Kai replied, smiling sheepishly. He’d never really been complimented before. “I’m sure everyone liked you too, though. You’re kind of the mysterious Ice Elemental.”

Zane chuckled. “I suppose so.”

They continued to converse about the other competitors and their costumes until the elevator rose to reach Zane’s floor. When he left, Zane said goodbye and stepped out of the elevator, bowing as the doors closed. In an instant, he was gone.

Blinking, Kai thought back to their conversation. He couldn’t quite place it, but nothing about Zane seemed natural; as though every one of his movements were calculated, and his words planned. Feeling a shiver crawl up his spine, Kai chose to disregard it. He could have just been looking for a friend.

Kai shook his head. He couldn’t have friends in the Tournament.

“Here we are!” The doors opened and Patty ushered him inside, sparing him no suspense. The suite was massive, with a living room and a dining table on an elevated platform that could only be accessed by climbing up steps. It was different than anything he’d seen before—more modern, more sumptuous-looking. Patty tapped him on his shoulder, waking him from his daze. “Your room is this way. I’m sure you’ll find it _equally_ as impressive!”

The only sound to be heard was the clicking off Patty’s heels on the tiles. Servants stood out against the cream-colored walls, their faces painted like dolls. Gooseflesh prickled his body as they watched him, eyes bearing into his skin. He’d learned about them before, back during the last Tournament, when their existence was announced to the world. They’d been kept secret up until then, and the revelation of their being shook his village as a whole.

They were Kabukis. From what Kai knew, it was punishment for non-Elemental rebels against the Tournament. Once captured, their tongues were cut off and they were forced to serve the non-Elemental elite. And, as it would seem, the Tournament.

Patty opened a door on the far end of the suite. Inside was a king bed, multiple dressers, and a window that also served as the walls. Kai approached it slowly, taking in the breathtaking scene before him. The sun had just set, leaving behind streaks of pink and yellow in the sky. As the sunlight faded, the city lights started up, creating their own series of bright stars across the skyline. Ninjago City was gorgeous in its own, artificial way.

He looked over his shoulder, only to see that Patty had left the room and silently closed the door behind her. On the bedside table was a flat, rectangular screen, which he grabbed and held in front of his eyes, trying to figure out the tiny piece of technology. Working on impulse, he pressed it with his finger, which activated a dial. He turned it from zero to one.

The windows changed. They faded, showing Kai something new entirely:

The final fight of the last Tournament. It had gone down in history, but not for its violence—no, it had become famous for its  _lack_ of violence.

The final fight, wherein the two competitors refused to kill each other and came out alive. Where they proved that the Tournament could have two victors—

Where the two sons of the First Spinjitzu Master proved stronger than all else. 


	4. Training

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this chapter is a little rushed, but with the way the story is planned, it makes the most sense to condense the three days of training into one chapter. However, you meet three major characters, and there's some more world-building. Thank you all for reading!

The presence of weight on his feet slowly drew him from his sleep. Or maybe it was the undeniable sunlight, filling his room with its rays thanks to the window-like walls. Either way, he sat up in bed, stretching out his arms with a yawn. Then he coughed.

On instinct, he brought his arm to his mouth to stop the fluid from staining the white bed sheets. A few minutes later, he pulled his arm away, only to find it clear of blood. The time away from the volcano must have been helping his lungs return to normal.

At least one good thing was coming out the Tournament.

He inspected the weight on his feet. A pile of black clothing had been placed there, which on its own was enough to motivate Kai out of bed to inspect it. He spread out the two articles of black clothing on the bed, finding nothing about them to be peculiar. The only thing that stood out to him were the fire emblems on the shoulders of the shirt.  _It's probably for training,_ he thought.

Making his way out of the room, Kai paused at the door after nearly stumbling over a pair of combat boots. More training gear, he supposed.

He climbed the stairs to the elevated dining platform, relieved to see Patty and Lou already in conversation. Patty smiled and patted the seat next to her, indicating for him to sit down. Kai took the closest spot to her, immediately reaching for the pitcher of water. Soon enough, he would need to limit himself on how much he drank—dependency on water was the last thing he needed.

“I was worried I was going to have to wake you up,” Patty said, playing with the fruit on her plate. “You really do enjoy sleeping in, don’t you?”

Kai glanced at a clock on the wall. It was only nine in the morning. “Yeah, I guess.”

For the briefest of moments, a smile tugged at his face. From what he could remember, his night had been relatively peaceful. No night terrors.

“You should be meeting your Sensei today,” Lou stated, staring intently at Kai. “He’s going to teach you how to survive in the Tournament. Try to make a good impression, won’t you?”

“Didn’t two of them win last time?”

“Yes, but one of them had an . . . _unfortunate accident_ prior to the Tournament,” Lou replied. “You and the other competitors will be trained by the eldest of the two brothers. Don’t be afraid to ask questions—some advice from him could save your life.”

“And try to make friends,” Patty chimed in. “You never know when they could be helpful.”

In his head, he swore to himself that he would never follow Patty's advice. Never friends. Only allies. 

But he agreed aloud anyway, and before he knew it, training had begun.

* * *

 

“There are seventeen of you. One will survive.”

Kai and the other competitors stood around their Sensei. During his speech, Kai couldn’t help but take note of the many stations in the training room. Climbing, what looked to be sparring rings, weaponry, and more he would have to explore as he worked his way through them. Off to the side, with the other weapons, was a rack with swords. He did his best not to grin with excitement; he hadn’t touched one in _years_.

When Kai turned to face the Sensei, he was glaring at him. “Do I have your attention, Fire?”

Nodding, Kai stared at the floor, avoiding the burning eyes of the other competitors. One mistake and he’d not only managed to make a bad impression with his Sensei, but also embarrassed himself in front of his competition. Lou and Patty were going to kill him.

“As I’m sure you all know, I am one of two victors from the previous Tournament of Elements. My job as Sensei is to teach you what you need to know to survive, so don’t be afraid to seek my advice. You may call me Sensei Garmadon and nothing else,” he began sharply. “You will be training for three days. During this time, I recommend you work on your Elemental abilities and hand-to-hand combat skills. The weapons may be tempting, but they’re not what the Tournament is named after.”

They were dismissed, but even as the other competitors dispersed, Kai caught himself staring at Lloyd, and then back at Sensei Garmadon. Could they have been . . .?

Empathy swelled up in his chest, pushing him away from the two and toward the nearest station. He had other things to focus on.

He learned quickly that his climbing skills were deplorable. He could climb ledges, but when it came to ropes and trees, he always found himself on the mats beneath the station. One time, he caught Amber giggling at him, and it was enough to motivate him to try until he could at least properly climb a tree without falling. He didn’t know why, but when she giggled at him, he couldn’t help but smile.

After finishing his climbing, he found the emptiest station: weaponry. Everyone must have listened to Garmadon’s advice.

Everyone but Jay, it would seem.

Jay had grabbed one of the katanas, but as Kai approached the sword rack, he could tell that Jay was doing everything wrong. His stance was off, and rather than gripping it in two hands, he only held it in one as he awkwardly whacked at one of the many practice dummies. Kai only shook his head, picking up one of his own.

It was lighter than the one he’d used as a child. He lifted it with his right hand, testing out the weight of the blade in contrast with the grip. Rather than tip over, the blade stayed still, requiring no effort to keep it held up. Smiling, Kai carried the katana to the dummy beside Jay’s and wrapped his hands around the hilt, recalling what he’d learned from his father.

A smooth slice and its head was rolling on the floor at his feet.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kai saw Jay copying his form: right hand under the guard, left at the base of the grip. Then, Jay lunged at the dummy, severing its left arm. He turned to Kai, looking at him expectantly, as though expecting a compliment. Instead, Kai asked, “Why did you go for the arm?”

“It’s the source of their power, right?” Jay responded, pointing to the arm on the floor with his sword. “I figured that if you can get rid of their powers, they’re not really much of a threat. Besides, there’s not a whole lot they can do if they’re bleeding out.”

“What about Mind?”

“They use their hands, too. Have you never seen them?” Jay asked. He placed his katana on the rack before sitting on the floor, legs crossed. After a moment, Kai hadn’t moved, and Jay looked at the floor in front of him before looking back up at Kai again, gesturing for him to sit down with his eyes. “Come on, sit—I’m going to help you.”

As he sat down, he placed the katana beside him, unwilling to let it go beyond arm’s reach. He was sure fighting against other competitors during training wasn’t allowed, but Garmadon had never said anything about it. And, really, all Jay needed was a split second to render Kai paralyzed.

“Every Elemental uses their hands to control their power. It’s the only way of controlling it, unless you can do Spinjitzu, but no one’s done that since the First Spinjitszu Master himself,” Jay said, his voice just above a whisper. “Our powers are emitted through our hands. If you pay close attention to Mind Elementals, you’ll see that in order to use their powers, they need to press their fingers to their temples. Every Elemental works in a similar way. Did you ever stop to wonder why they cut off our hands as punishment for treason?”

His stomach roiled as Jay chuckled at the question. He’d heard of the rule, but he never before had he seen it enforced. But that was in the Fire Village, and a prickling feeling told him it was different elsewhere.

One of the lessons he’d learned in school flashed through his mind:

_The Lightning Elementals provide electricity to the entire nation. Should they fail, everything would fall apart. This is why their cooperation with the non-Elementals is of utmost importance—the fate of Ninjago is on the line._

“No, I hadn’t,” Kai replied, glancing at the scar above Jay’s right eye.

“Anyway,” Jay continued, “the power comes from the hands. If you get rid of the hands, the Elemental is practically useless. They don’t like to teach us this, so if you can remember it going into the Tournament, you’ll have an advantage.”

Kai blinked, dumbfounded. “Why would you bother telling me this? I’m your competition.”

Jay shrugged. “Because you asked. Also, you just taught me how to use a sword.”

Of course he did. He really needed to break the habit of helping the other competitors.

“So, uh, I’m going to go over there now,” Jay said, pointing to the rock-climbing wall station across the training room. From what Kai could tell, Cole was the only competitor there, and he was scaling the wall so quickly the instructor had trouble keeping up with him. A few competitors had gathered around to watch, either amazed or taking note of his skill.

It was easy to guess they were doing both. In the Tournament of Elements, another person’s skill was a threat.

Kai looked down at the katana. He wanted to practice, but he also didn’t want the other competitors to think of him as dangerous. It was an easy conclusion to come to: the less they knew about him, the better.

Once Jay left, Kai put the katana back on the rack and moved on to another weapon. He’d never considered trying throwing knives before, but learning a distance weapon couldn’t hurt him. He grabbed the pommel of one of the knives and lined himself with a target. As Kai went in for the throw, a voice distracted him, and he sent the knife straight into the back wall.

He turned on the source, ready to interrogate them, but instead found himself facing Sensei Garmadon.

“Did you not hear what I said?” Garmadon demanded. When Kai didn’t reply, he snatched the other knife from Kai’s left hand, waving it in front of his face. “I told you you were holding it wrong. Don’t you _ever_ listen?”

“I was about to throw the knife—I didn’t have time to stop,” Kai explained, but Garmadon didn’t seem content with his answer. He pinched the blade, showing the grip to Kai.

“This is how you throw the knife. It’s easy, if you do it right,” Garmadon said. He stood behind the throwing line, and in a swift motion, casted the knife at the dummy.

The blade stuck in the center of the target drawn on its chest.

“Try it again,” Garmadon instructed, and backed away, giving Kai access to the knife rack and target dummies. Kai took a knife and aligned himself with a dummy, using his left arm for aim as he pulled his right back near his head. He swung his arm forward and flicked his wrist, throwing the knife toward the target. It nicked the dummy’s right arm. When Kai glanced at Garmadon, he nodded, motioning to the knife rack. “Continue. You only get better with practice.”

He went through the entire rack before his knives began to hit the dummy’s torso. Garmadon helped, pointing out his mistakes and showing him more advanced techniques as they went on. Then Garmadon asked him a question that set him off balance.

“Are you trying to become allies with Jay?” Garmadon laughed quietly, and Kai picked up mockery in his tone. What was he trying to say?

“Not really, we just taught each other things,” Kai said, trying to shut down the conversation as quickly as possible. Garmadon didn’t hear—or pretended not to hear—the finality in Kai’s voice and continued talking.

“I understand,” Garmadon said, and then added, “I was just going to tell you not to ally yourself with him.”

Kai paused. “Why?”

“Because he’s from Lightning,” Garmadon responded. “He won’t stand a chance.”

“And why not?”

“Do you understand how things work in the Lightning Village, Kai?” Garmadon asked, folding his arms across his chest. “If they do what they’re told, they never have to skip a meal. They don’t know how to survive, how to fight—Jay will be lucky to make it past the _first round_.”

Something set off inside of him. Kai slammed the knife down on the rack and whipped around to face Garmadon, forgetting everything Lou had told him about making a good impression. “What do you know?” Kai snapped. “You’re not even from an Elemental Village!”

“That doesn’t excuse the fact that—”

“No. Jay has just as much chance to win as everyone else,” Kai interrupted angrily. Choosing not to start a real argument, he stalked away from the station, saying bitterly, “I don’t want to train with you anymore.”

He walked briskly toward the nearest station, ignoring the looks of those whom undoubtedly overheard his loss of temper. At least he’d ceased the quarrel before it began—he didn’t need his Sensei hating him more than he already did.

It was hard to concentrate with thoughts bearing his mind. He hadn’t exploded at anyone in years, so why was it coming back now? Garmadon didn’t deserve the backlash—he wasn’t even the brother that killed his father.

Kai looked over to the climbing wall, seeking out Jay. From what he could see, Cole was sitting on the top of the wall, laughing at Jay as he struggled to get past the first stretch of rock. Jay shouted something and Cole only started laughing harder.

A sliver of blonde caught his attention. Turning his head, Kai’s eyes landed on the shoulder of someone standing behind a pillar. He squinted his eyes in effort to see the symbol on the shoulder, only to find he didn’t recognize it. A bright, green circle.

The shoulder shifted and its owner moved from behind the pillar, looking at Kai with large, wondrous green eyes that almost matched the intensity of the emblem on their shoulder.

It was Lloyd.

* * *

It made him wonder if he’d overheard the conversation with Garmadon. Or the one with Jay. How long had Lloyd been following him?

The second day of training wasn’t off with an interesting start. Foregoing the prep talks, the competitors were allowed to go straight to whatever station they wanted. Frankly, Kai didn’t know what to do with the sudden freedom. He’d tried everything he’d wanted to the previous day.

Kai meandered through the training room, searching for a station that he felt could be of use to him. From what he could gather from the stations, part of the Tournament was going to involve surviving in wilderness of some point, especially with the tree-climbing and fire-starting stations. He chuckled at the latter, peeking over occasionally to watch as other competitors tried—and often failed—to set fire to small piles of sticks.

Sharp laughter roused him from his daze. Kai casted his gaze in the direction of the laughter, only to see Poison, Smoke, and Form snickering as Lloyd struggled to use his element against a dummy. Sparks of green would erupt from his hands, only to die out soon after. Before he could stop himself, Kai approached him, the thought of correcting Lloyd on his mind.

Their laughter grew as Kai finally reached Lloyd, kneeling down to reach eye-level with him. “Have you never used your element before?”

He was met with a glare. “I don’t need help.”

Lloyd’s acrimonious voice left Kai momentarily shocked. He recovered quickly, however, and pressed on. “Don’t you hear them?” he inquired, gesturing to the laughing Elementals.

Mentioning the other competitors was enough for Lloyd’s shoulders to relax as he gave up on trying to conjure his element at his fingertips. “Yeah, but I don’t care what they think. Once I figure out how to use my element, they’ll _all_ be sorry.”

While he wanted to laugh, a part of Kai knew that Lloyd was right. If he shared the same family name as Sensei Garmadon, there was no telling what kind of power he held. Kai would probably be better off leaving him to never learn anything at all.

“Do you want me to teach you how?”

A tiny nod told him _yes_. Kai positioned himself to the right of Lloyd, holding out his left hand for example. With a flick of his wrist, flames formed in his palm, and he extinguished them quickly, knowing the others were still watching them. _Don’t show them anything, Kai._

“Can you try doing that?”

Lloyd shook his head. “It doesn’t work like that,” he said quietly. “You channel Energy with your whole body, not just your hands.”

“Why are you having so much trouble if you already know how to use it?”

At his question, Lloyd stilled. His hands lowered as he looked away, averting Kai’s gaze completely. “I can’t control it.”

It was almost unheard of. Most Elementals learned how to use their elements _long_ before they turned eleven. And with Lloyd being from the most powerful bloodline in Elemental history . . . it didn’t make sense.

“So you’ve done it before?”

“Yeah, I have, but only on accident,” Lloyd said. “I had to apologize to my mom up-and-down for a month before she would forgive me.”

“What provoked it?”

“I’m not sure,” he said. “I just remember feeling really scared.”

The connection was easy to make. Some Elementals were fueled by emotions. But the idea of one being guided by _fear_ —he didn’t want to think about it.

He had to.

“Can you try to get scared?”

“Now?” Lloyd asked, and closed his eyes at Kai’s nod. Lloyd’s face scrunched in effort, and he raised his hands, bringing them before his chest. Green mist swirled between his fingers, growing brighter as time passed.

The green mist intertwined in a sudden movement and green exploded from Lloyd’s body. All that remained of the dummy were singed limbs.

As Kai gaped, Lloyd smiled excitedly, pride in his eyes. All laughter died away, and Kai was left to face one fact:

An eleven year-old was the biggest threat in the Tournament.

* * *

 “We have a challenge for you,” a voice said from behind. Kai glanced over, only to see Jay and Cole standing side-by-side, arms folded across their chests. He faced them, eyes darting between the two. Cole continued to speak once he had Kai’s attention. “And by ‘challenge’, it’s more of a test. We want to make an alliance, and we’ve both agreed to have you in it. All you need to do is do what we tell you.”

“And what makes you think I even want to?” Kai rejoined, watching as Jay shifted uncomfortably at his response. He pressed on. “The only things I know about you are that Cole is afraid of dragons and Jay knows how our powers work. Awesome. How is this supposed to benefit me?”

A moment of silence passed before Jay blurted out, “Cole’s a really good fighter! He could probably beat Shadow, or even Form!”

“And where did he learn to fight?” Kai questioned, but Cole didn’t falter, staring Kai down with his dark gaze.

Then, he smirked. “Experience.”

With Cole’s build, Kai wouldn’t doubt it, either. “What do you want me to do?”

Jay’s face brightened at Kai assent. “You see those fighting rings?” Jay asked, pointing to elevated circles surrounded by rope. “You can spar with robots on it. Defeat three at once, and you’re in.”

“A bit of an odd request from someone who’s probably never swung a fist in their life,” Kai muttered, but agreed either way, making his way to the nearest fighting ring. He climbed a small flight of stairs, pleased to see one of the robots waiting on top. He discussed Jay and Cole’s request with it, and within a few minutes, two other robots were present in the ring, prepared to fight at any instant.

The floor beneath him flashed red twice, then turned green, and Kai took it as permission to begin. As one of the robots charged him, a katana landed on the floor next to Kai, presumably thrown by either Jay or Cole. He dove out of the way of the robot and landed near the katana, quickly picking it up and using the ropes surrounding the ring to pull himself off the floor. He was up just in time to swipe at another robot, slicing it clean across the middle and sending its torso toppling to the ground.

A smirk etched his face at its defeat; whatever these robots were, he’d practiced against harder foes. _Nya_ was better than them, and that was saying something—she’d only been six last time they fought.

The sight of their fallen companion provoked the other two to come at him, though harder than the first. Kai sidestepped to the right, narrowly avoiding their lunges. They didn’t have a plan of attack, which he could use to his advantage. _Dodge and hit,_ he thought to himself. _Just like before._

As he swung at the second one, it became obvious they weren’t trying to hurt him, but instead limit the number of openings he had to attack. If he treated them like targets rather than people, he could do it. All it would take was persistence.

The second robot’s head fell uselessly to the floor and Kai squared on the last. One more, and he would have a guaranteed alliance. He prepared to dodge while the third one moved toward him, but as he ducked out of the way, the robot did something unexpected: it knocked the katana from Kai’s hands, sending it skidding across the ring floor and over the edge.

He had no weapon and no intention of displaying his Elemental abilities. With nothing left to attack it with, Kai would be forced to rely on hand-to-hand combat. Something he, unfortunately, had little experience in.

Lifting his fists to protect his face, Kai and the robot treaded in a circle, both waiting for the other to move. For the first time in the spar, Kai chose to attack first, and threw himself at the robot.

He tackled its legs, bringing it down to the floor with him. Kai got up first, pushing his knee on its chest to keep it down as he positioned himself to get up as smoothly as possible once he let go. In a swift motion, he lifted his knee and transferred his weight to his other foot, allowing him time to get the other leg up in time before the robot could react. In a move of finality, Kai kicked the robot’s head in, leaving it with a hollowed-in dent.

The floor changed back to white, announcing the end of the sparring session. Kai hesitantly left the ring, making his way back to Cole and Jay. Jay grinned exuberantly at Kai’s return. “That was _so cool!_ ” he exclaimed, bouncing in his spot.

A small smile bedecked Cole’s face. “You’re in, but one thing first: how’d you know the plated side of the robot’s face was its weak spot?”

“I didn’t,” Kai replied. “It was just a lucky hit, I guess.”

Cole frowned again, but Jay’s attitude had yet to falter. “Cole and I want to keep the alliance as small as possible—it’s safer, and big alliances never work—but you can add another member of your own choice! If you want, that is.”

“Preferably someone you trust at this point,” Cole stated, leaving Kai baffled. What had he done to earn their trust in the first place?

After a moment’s thought, the decision became clear to him:

“I want Lloyd.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: The Tournament will be on hiatus until further notice.
> 
> EDIT 2: I am not longer on hiatus and expect the next chapter early. I am such a liar.


	5. Judging

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I know I announced I would be going on hiatus, but I guess I decided not to and typed up this chapter in three days. 
> 
> With summer on, I guess I should say the fic will be updating quicker. Not every three days, but I would give myself a maximum of two weeks per update. 
> 
> Thanks for reading, and I hope you like this chapter! It's two thousand words longer than usual!

Convincing Lloyd to join their alliance wasn't hard. He'd been grateful that he wouldn't have to go through it alone, especially with his age holding him back.

Inside, Kai was grateful, too. If Lloyd could just harness his power . . .

There were five long tables with benches to accompany them. Atop a table in the center of the room were platters of food, pitchers of drinks, and everything someone could use to brush off their nerves.

Few people touched it. Kai didn't go near it once out of fear of feeling nauseous when his time came. Those whom talked at all spoke in hushed whispers, presumably out of fear of revealing any secrets they were telling their partners or allies. Though Cole and Jay had offered him a spot near them, Kai had declined, choosing to sit alone and away from the others. He needed to think about what he was going to do during his individual assessment.

Patty had explained the evaluation to him clearly. The competitors would be called into the training room one-by-one and would show off their skills to judges. The better they were, the higher the score. The scores would be presented to not only the competitors themselves, but also the rest of Ninjago, where the viewers would use the scores to choose who to root for. The higher the score meant more supporters, but it also meant that competitor would be regarded as more dangerous to the others. Just do your best, she had told him.

"Do you mind if I sit here? I don't wish to socialize at the moment."

Kai didn't have to look up to recognize Zane's unique, almost monotonous voice. He slid over and gave Zane room on the bench, not that he needed it. It could have fit five people at least.

"Do you think you will score high?" Zane inquired, a small smile on his face. Kai looked at all the other competitors, his eyes landing on Shadow and the others. He couldn't let his confidence falter, but he also couldn't deny that they would be taking the highest scores away from the others. If Kai could even somewhat measure up to them, he may stand a chance at gaining supporters.

"I don't know," Kai said. "You?"

"I . . . am not much of a fighter," Zane admitted. "I'm hoping this Tournament will have more than killing. I do not believe I will stand a chance otherwise."

"It's not usually all killing," Kai said. A small laugh escaped him. "That would be boring for the ones watching."

Zane smiled kindly. A few minutes passed, and Kai was content with letting silence fill the space between them. He didn't want small talk, or to make friends. Allies were fine, but Zane was not his ally. He certainly wasn't going to become his friend, either. 

However, Kai supposed that before the Tournament, returning kindness had no consequences. He could pretend to be friendly. But the moment the Tournament began, his 'friendships' were over. He could only afford to care about his allies. And above all, himself.

"Kai, your last name is Smith, correct?"

"Uh, yeah," Kai replied, temporarily confused. He was sure every competitor had watched the Rituals by now. Had Zane already forgotten?

Zane's voice lowered when he asked his next question. "Are you the son of the previous Fire competitor?"

Kai wanted to deny it—to refuse to give Zane anything to use against him during the Tournament. He didn't want anyone to have anything to use against him. 

But he couldn't bring himself to say 'no'. He didn't know why, since it would be so easy. "How'd you know?"

"There are not many Fire elementals, so I made an assumption. It was very unlikely that two of you would have the same last name." 

How many others had already come to this conclusion? His eyes darted around the room, finally settling on Form's purple hair. He knew what she could do. If she knew who his father was, she could turn into him. Body, voice, everything would change to become a duplicate of the man he'd known all those years ago. 

"Jay Walker, Lightning."

He jumped at the sudden announcement. Jay wasn't the first to go, as a few others were missing, too. Amber was nowhere to be seen, and Neuro—the Mind Elemental's name he'd learned thanks to Jay—had seemingly disappeared. Not that Kai was too disappointed—Neuro could read minds. The farther away he was, the better.

"Are you feeling all right?" Zane asked. 

He'd forgotten to respond to Zane earlier. To answer his question, Kai nodded but didn't say anything. He didn't want to keep talking. He'd sat away from everyone else to plan what he was going to do, anyway. Zane was just a distraction.`

He couldn’t use a weapon to impress the judges—Garmadon had been clear about that during the training sessions. He also couldn’t use his element, given that all he could do was create flames in his palms. So what was he supposed to do? 

More time passed as he thought. Before he knew it, Zane was being called to the training room for his evaluation. 

Zane stood and grinned down at Kai. "Good luck, friend."

Friend.

"Oh. Uh, thanks. You too."

Once Zane was gone, Kai made his way over to Cole and Lloyd. The moment he sat down, Cole had his arm in a death grip, and he hissed into Kai's ear, "Allies, not friends."

Though his arm was at Cole's mercy, Kai mumbled back, "You're one to talk."

Cole's eyes widened briefly, though they regained their hardness in an instant and he released Kai's arm. Kai had seen Cole and Jay. He knew they were closer than allies were supposed to be. Cole seemed to know it, too. 

"Do you think Jay is going to do well?" Lloyd asked, legs swinging under the bench. 

Cole laughed. "No."

"Wait, what?" Kai said. "Why?"

"Because there isn't much he can show them," Cole explained. "Lightning doesn't do much to dummies, and there's no way he could hold his own in a fight against the nindroids, or whatever they're called. His best asset is his knowledge, but it's not the kind of thing the judges look for."

Jay had known about the hands. It wasn't that his knowledge was his asset, but rather the others' lack thereof. Nindroids were mechanic, and didn't have any powers of their own. Useless to train with for someone like Jay. But if he were to fight a real Elemental . . . there was no telling what he could do.

If Kai added it on with Lloyd's power and Cole's supposed fighting ability, they were a strong team. Maybe even strong enough to take on Shadow and the others. But how could Kai help them? There weren't many weapons in the Tournament in the first place, and if there were, the chances of him getting a katana were slim. He would need some way to compensate if he wanted to stay in the alliance.

A high score could do it. If he could get higher than a ten, he would be considered a force to be reckoned with, and they would keep him in for sure. All he needed to do was impress the judges.

"Kai Smith, Fire."

It was time. He quickly said goodbye, then stood and made his way out of the room, striding past the remaining competitors. Two sliding doors opened, allowing him to go through them and leave everything behind. He didn't look back, the fear of looking uncertain pushing him forward. What transpired in the next room could determine his fate. During the final eight, sponsors could send in gifts to aid competitors in the Tournament. Low scores typically turned away the potential supportors, and for good reason, too. What was the point of sponsoring someone that didn't even stand a chance of surviving?

The training room was clean and empty. Every weapon was on its rack, every station prepared for use, and the only distinction of activity were the shuriken laced with frost in a dummy at the weapons station. The judges sat in a balcony suspended above the room for easy view of every station, but it was apparent they weren't putting it to good use. The only thing in their sights at the moment was a buffet table in the back.

He needed to get their attention. If he didn't, they wouldn't see what he could do.

"Kai Smith," he said loudly. They paused and faced him, looking disappointed that he'd interrupted them. He didn't care. "I'm here for the judging."

Without waiting to see a response, Kai moved on to the weapons station. He grabbed a katana and lined himself up with the dummy next to the one impaled with shuriken, and he momentarily took note of the ice surrounding the small blades. Zane could throw, apparently.

He swung down, severing its head. In a following swift motion, he cut across the torso diagonally, doing more additional damage. Kai knew it wasn't necessary, but he would do whatever made him look better.

Once he refocused, the unmistakable sound of chatter hit his ears. He whipped around, eager to see what they thought, but found only a few nodding at him. The rest had their backs turned, continuing to talk amongst themselves and ignore what was happening below.

It felt as though fire had spread to his heart. Were they bored? Did they not care? He tossed the katana to the floor and roved about the training room, searching for something he could use to catch their attention. Lou's words from the Opening Ceremonies flashed through his mind: "You can't be hurt by your own fire. If you can't be hurt by it, why not use it?"

What could he do to surprise them? Then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of the climbing station. A smirk on his face, he streamed to it, careful not to tip off the judges of his location. He didn't want them to see until it was too late.

The mattresses of the climbing station squeaked beneath his feet. He pressed on until he was surrounded by ropes and trees in the direct center of the station. Looking around, he found that he couldn't do what he wanted to by only using tree trunks. No, he'd need to start with something easier. Something higher.

A flick of his wrists and flames formed in his hands. He stared up, trying to find the perfect spot. Once he found it, he stood directly beneath it, and prepared himself for what he was about to do. It was going to lose him everything. It might even get him killed. But at that point, he didn't even think about it. If the Tournament was a death sentence, he would go out in a blaze of glory.

He pumped his two fists to the sky. Balls of fire emerged from them, soaring straight above and colliding with the various tree branches crossing over one another. The leaves caught fire, creating vast amounts of smoke that wafted into the air. Fire moved to the branches, spreading across the trees and ropes like an infection. After a few minutes, the flames surrounded him, sending burning branches to the ground and creating a wall of fire. It was beautiful and dangerous and he couldn't feel a thing.

Shouts could be heard over the crackling of wood, calling him out of the fire. After a moment, he abided, stepping out of the burning trees and into the open room. The judges were crowded around the bannister of the balcony, watching the display Kai had created with horror. Only once their gazes were fixed on him did he speak. 

"I can't be hurt by my fire, but others can. Don't think I won't burn down everything in my path to win."

He turned on his heel and marched out of the room. 

* * *

 A set of Chen's guard had arrived to pick him up from the lobby, claiming they were there for his 'personal safety'. Really, he knew it was just an excuse to make sure he didn't try to burn down the building. They brought him upstairs to his floor using the elevators, where they promptly dropped him off and left.

The only noise in the suite was the shuffling of his feet. The Kabukis stood in their respective positions, watching Kai from all angles as he trudged down the main hall and toward his temporary room. He just wanted to change out of the training uniform and pretend his evaluation had never happened. He crossed the threshold to his room and sifted through the series of drawers and wardrobes that lined one of the walls. Once he found something he could wear, he peeled off the training uniform and, no longer wanting it in his sight, threw it in the trash. He changed into loose, pajama-like clothing and left his room in desire for something to drink.

Patty awaited him at the top of the stairs to the dining platform, arms crossed over her chest and foot tapping. She was angry. "What are you doing?" she demanded, and Kai halted on the stairs. 

"What are you talking about? Am I not supposed to be here? Because if not, the guards were the ones that brought me here."

"Oh, I know," she snarled, and grabbed his forearm. She hauled him up the last few steps so they were on equal level, and then proceeded to stick her finger in his face. "Are you crazy? You can't go around burning down the training room!"

“They weren’t paying attention to me!” Kai argued. “I need a high score. How am I supposed to get that if they aren’t watching me?"

“And what, burning down a training station was supposed to accomplish this?” Patty said. “It was stupid and reckless. Do you think they’re going to give you the score you want now? Because they’re not. You’d be lucky to get above a—“

To their left, the elevator doors opened, cutting Patty off. Kai expected it to be Lou. 

It was Garmadon.  

* * *

 

"You've been put on house arrest," Garmadon said, leaning against the back of the sofa. "No leaving this floor unless you've been given special permission. Do you understand why, Kai?"

They were the only two in the suite. Patty and the Kabuki had been escorted out by guards and were to wait in the lobby until Garmadon and Kai were done speaking. Not that they had very long--the scores were considered more important than the punishment being inflicted on Kai.

And so, the living room had turned into an interrogation cell.

"Yeah," Kai replied. "I burned down the climbing station. We've been over this."

"It's not that," Garmadon said, "it's the other thing you did—what you said. 'I can't be hurt by my fire, but others can. Don't think I won't burn down everything in my path to win'. Kai, they think you're going to try to kill the other competitors before the Tournament even begins. You scared them, and now they consider you a danger to the other competitors' safety."

"The Tournament is a danger to their safety," Kai retorted. After a moment he sighed, closing his eyes and letting the situation soak in. "Fine. If they want to keep me isolated, they can go ahead. I don't care."

Garmadon looked almost . . . disappointed in his response. "Don't let this dampen your spirit, Kai. One as fiery as yours is hard to come by. Not that your father never had one."

At the mention of his father, Kai thought of a question that had been bothering him for years. "Garmadon, do you know why he refused to fight? You'd been allies, right? Had he ever told you?"

It was a tension-filled minute before Garmadon spoke again. "Your father didn't fight because he chose to let his opponent live. As I'm sure you can see, his sacrifice wasn't in vain. My brother lived to see the end of the Tournament."

"Is Lloyd yours?" Kai blurted out. After a moment of blinking, Garmadon responded.

"Yes, he is. Why?"

"It's just—why would your brother kill someone he knew had young children if he had none of his own?"

"I can't answer that, Kai," Garmadon said, shaking his head, "but just know it accomplished greater things. One day, you may find out for yourself."

There was nothing Kai could say. It didn't make any sense to him. How could his father willingly leave him and Nya behind?

Garmadon stood, brushing off his pant legs. As he turned to leave, he said, "Thank you for choosing Lloyd as your ally. Take care of him, won't you? He's always wanted an older brother." 

* * *

 

To his surprise, Lou didn't have much to say. He must have been told that Kai'd already been reproved by Garmadon. Kai was glad. Patty had told him that Lou was critical of imperfection. 

Patty, Lou, and Kai were all seated on couches in front of the living room's TV, waiting for the scores to be announced. His entire body was twitchy, on edge just from waiting for it to start. There were too many commercials. It was taking forever.

Finally, the scores began, but with a small segment by Dareth, who explained the scoring to the audience. The scores would be shown in increasing order from one to seventeen. The worst competitor would receive a one, and the best competitor would receive a seventeen. After what Kai had pulled during his evaluation, he would be lucky to get anything above a score of one.

The number one took up half of the screen, After a few seconds of nervous waiting, a picture was displayed next to it.

It wasn't Kai. He used the name beneath the picture to discern who it was: Jacob, the Sound competitor, which meant that Kai hadn't come in last. The judges didn't consider him to be the weakest competitor. How? They already thought he was dangerous, so why not give him a low score to let him die off early?

The rest of the scores continued the same way. The two went to Gravis, from Gravity. Neuro got three, Bolobo, the Nature competitor, earned four, and five went to Zane. Kai had seen Zane's shuriken in the dummy—how could Zane have gotten a lower score than him? It didn't even seem possible that Kai wasn't in the bottom five in the first place.

Griffin Turner, Speed, got six. Light was seventh, and Jay got a score of eight. From what Cole had told him, Kai hadn't thought he would get higher than ten. He'd been right.

Nine was Karlof, the Metal competitor. The Poison competitor, Toxikita, got ten. Though she hadn't gotten the highest score, Kai knew she was dangerous. Poison wasn't something that could be flaunted, and she was lucky to have gotten a ten in the first place, which meant she must have had some fighting on the side.

Kai's score was above a ten. For whatever reason, he had a chance.

Eleven went to Smoke. Ash must have had some kind of fighting power to get such a high score with nothing but teleporting as his power. Next was Chamille, whom earned a twelve. It was the final five, and Kai's score still hadn't been given. The higher the scores got, the more worried Kai became. What if they had just scrapped him, and chosen not to give him one in the first place?

Cole got thirteen, and Kai felt more than relieved as a result. He had a good fighter on his side. Fourteen went to Shade, the competitor from Shadow.

And then it was fifteen. The number glowed bright white against the dark background, waiting its turn far too long.

Kai's picture popped up next to it. Lou and Patty burst into applause, and Kai couldn't believe it. He was in the top three. He'd made it.

Amber earned herself sixteen. The only contact he'd ever had with her was when she'd laughed at him for falling from a tree. He didn’t know anything about her, and it made him wary. Amber competitors never did so well. What made her different?

It was time for seventeen, or who the judges considered the strongest competitor in the Tournament. Sixteen competitors had come and gone, meaning there was only one competitor still eligible for a score. At the realization of who it was, Kai felt his gut twist. They couldn't have—putting him up there was just going to make him a target.

Lloyd's picture filled the screen. Kai sunk back in the couch, trying to process what he'd just seen. An eleven year-old who could barely control his powers had won the highest score. Everyone knew it too, and now the stronger competitors were going to put him at the top of their hit list.

If Lloyd couldn't protect himself, others would have to do it for him. Garmadon had asked Kai to take care of Lloyd, and if he had to kill to do it, so be it. Lloyd was his ally, and an extremely powerful one, too. It was a small price to pay for having such a huge advantage.

Kai had strong allies. If he played his cards right, there was a chance he could make it to the end.

The end, he realized, wasn't something he wanted to think about. The Tournament would either end with him losing, or end with him winning and seeing those he'd come to know over the few weeks fall dead. Going into the Tournament had been so simple; fight, kill, and maybe make a few allies along the way. But now he knew the Tournament was more complex than that. How was he supposed to go into a death contest with allies and keep them at an arm’s length? What would he do if he was forced to kill Lloyd or his other allies? Zane?

Suddenly, for the first time in his life, he began to understand his father's decision.

It terrified him. 

* * *

 

Sleeplessness, to Kai, had always been a result of heat. He'd never experienced it like this; thoughts clouding his head, dread settling in his chest like dead weight, and the fear of the coming days all keeping him awake. All he knew was that he needed to get out, maybe get a breath of fresh air, but it wasn't possible with his current confinement to his suite.

He sat up in bed. During the Opening Ceremonies, he'd seen a button on the elevator for the rooftop. As long as there wasn't another competitor there, they wouldn't care, right? They wouldn't even need to know in the first place. He’d just need to be quiet.

Not bothering with shoes, Kai slipped out in socks, thankful for the silence they gave him on the wooden floors. He snuck past Patty's room, careful not to make any noise. She would go ballistic if she found out he was sneaking out, and her rage was not something he was ready to face. So he made sure to stay quiet, and after a quick dash down the main hall, arrived at the elevator doors. He hailed the elevator at the press of a button, went inside, and pushed the button for the roof. Fortunately, they hadn't kept the elevator locked at night, and also hadn't considered blocking access to his floor. They either hadn't thought of it, or they trusted him too blindly. He wasn't about to complain about either.

He ascended a flight of stairs to reach the ingress to the rooftop. The refreshing night air hit him when he opened the small door, taking in the sight before him. There was a garden hosting beautiful flowers, herbs, and some plants he couldn't recognize. Among the flowers wasn't something from nature, but it was too late to turn back. There was no way she hadn't heard the door close behind him.

A laugh. "Fifteen, huh?"

He could have recognized that laugh from anywhere. "You shouldn't be talking. How'd you manage to get sixteen?"

"It's a secret," she said, and Amber emerged from the shadows, a smile on her face. "Not that you have one to keep. I'm pretty sure Cole laughed for days when he found out what you'd done during the evaluation."

"Why were you with Cole?" Kai asked.

"Well, while you were on house arrest, all the other competitors were forced to watch the score announcements together. I would have killed to switch places with you," she said. "I don't trust any of them. Nothing like becoming friends and just backstabbing each other a week later, right?"

"I don't know, Amber, some of them—"

"Call me Skylor," she interrupted. "I hate just being called 'Amber'. It's not my name, and it never will be."

"Okay, Skylor it is then," Kai said, testing the name to her face. It fit.

"Thanks," she said. "I just don't want to die as some sort of pawn, you know? I don't want to lose myself to the Tournament like so many others do."

Kai opened his mouth to speak, but shut it. Suddenly, Skylor grabbed his wrist and pulled him to the far end of the garden, giving him view of mountains beyond the city. She pointed to a small blob of light in the distance.

"See that? That's my village," she told him. "I may never see it again, and if I die, they won't remember me. No one in Ninjago will. So if I'm going to go out, it's going to be as Skylor, not another competitor."

Skylor's words resonated through him. "I feel the same way, I just—I don't know how."

"The interviews are tomorrow," Skylor apprised, leaning against the bannister. Beyond it was a shield of blue, transparent enough that it took long to even see it. A force field. "You'll have five minutes to answer questions about yourself on live television. So, try to make sure it's about you, and not who the Tournament wants you to be. I can promise you I'll be doing the same thing."

He looked out at the mountains, eyes fixated on the glowing light of the Amber Village. He couldn’t help but wonder what his own village was doing. Probably sleeping. Tomorrow they’d all be watching him. If he died, would they forget him? Or would they remember him as someone he pretended to be? 

Tomorrow was the day he would present himself to the world. And they would remember him for who he truly was.


	6. Energy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel as though my writing style changes each chapter. Also, some more character development, mostly on Jay's part. Backstory, anyone?
> 
> Thanks for reading, I really appreciate all of the views this is getting! I hope you enjoy this chapter!

The morning of the interviews, Patty woke up Kai earlier than usual. Starting very early in the morning, Sensei Garmadon would be spending time with each competitor to help prepare them for the interview. As one of the high scorers, Kai would be the third to go and spend only twenty minutes with Garmadon. Anyone not in the top five would go later in the day and spend 45 minutes preparing.

Patty wanted him there ten minutes early, so she tapped her foot impatiently as Kai wolfed down a few spoonfuls of soup. Once she decided he'd had enough, she pulled him away from the dining platform and toward the elevator. When she went to press the button, the elevator doors opened on their own. A blur of green ran out and arms wrapped themselves around Kai's waist, accompanied only by the unmistakable sound of sobbing. And boy, did Lloyd cry loud.

Patty threw Kai a pointed look of disapproval. Knowing well that being in contact with Lloyd was against Kai's punishment, he made an attempt to lightly push him away, but the child wouldn't budge. With his face buried in Kai's side, Lloyd whimpered,  _"It was terrible."_

Patty sighed and held up five fingers before walking away, leaving Kai alone with Lloyd. He didn't know what to do—how was he supposed to help? "What happened?"

A sniffle. "The interview practice," Lloyd said, voice trembling as his hold on Kai tightened. "He thinks I'm going to lose and it's like he barely even  _knows me_  anymore!"

Twenty minutes with his father was enough to send Lloyd into dolor. A father that, with his status as a victor, was most likely never around. Kai tried his hardest to feel sympathy, but he couldn't—not with his family dead and Lloyd's alive.

"Shh," Kai whispered, running his fingers through Lloyd's hair. "It's okay, Lloyd. Your dad loves you."

The only response he received was the slightest nodding of Lloyd's head against his side. And they stayed like that, remaining perfectly still as Lloyd's breathing evened out and his sobs quieted down. A few minutes later, Patty appeared in the corner of his vision, tapping her wrist in an angry motion. They were going to be late.

"I have to go." Kai pushed Lloyd off of him softly, and then went down on one knee, put his hands on Lloyd's shoulders, and said, "If you're still upset, find Jay, or maybe even Cole. They're probably better at this than I am."

 _Nya would be,_  Kai thought, and he felt a pang of homesickness in his chest. He really hoped she was holding up okay, especially with him gone. The losers' families were always recompensed, but would it be enough to last two years? When their father had died and they'd received compensation for their loss, they'd blown it within a week because they were young and witless. Even now, there was no way it would be enough.

Kai closed his eyes for a moment, breathing in deeply. As long as he won, he had no reason to fear for her fate. The only life he had to fear for right now was his own.

Lloyd didn't have time to reply before Patty had swept in, snatched his left wrist, and dragged him away. The elevator doors opened at her command and she jerked him inside, slamming her hand down on the 'close door' button at what he assumed was a successful attempt to keep Lloyd out. Truthfully, Kai was thankful for her efforts. Protecting Lloyd and caring for him were two entirely different things, and he had no intention for the two to transpose in his heart. Becoming attached was just going to hurt both of them.

" _What_  are you thinking?" Patty asked sternly, releasing Kai's wrist from her grip. "You're supposed to be his ally,  _not_  his babysitter."

"He got a score of seventeen; he's nothing more than an asset to me, I promise," Kai said. "If I have to calm him down now and then, I don't care. It's worth it."

Patty made a grunt of agreement, and Kai knew she approved of his words. How truthful they were, he had no idea. He'd asked Lloyd to join the alliance for his powers, but every second he spent with him—and everyone else, too—was detrimental to his purpose: to survive. He couldn't turn into his father and willingly sacrifice himself. Could he really think of his allies as nothing more than advantageous? People to use and throw away once he was finished with them?

He didn't know if he could do it, but if it was what it took to win, he would have to try. Not just for him, but for Nya, too. He would do it for her. For them.

Nothing about returning to the training room appealed to him. Although he'd earned a high score, the result of his desperation had earned him house arrest and isolation from the other competitors. A sentence he'd broken twice within the past 24 hours. Until he was reprimanded, Kai decided that he didn't need to obey the restrictions. There was no point of following them if they weren't even going to be enforced.

As they arrived, Skylor walked through the doors, a scowl on her face. Garmadon obviously hadn't supported her decision to be forthright during her interview. When she passed by Kai, she muttered, "Don't listen to him. He's just going to try and screw you over."

"And how do I know you're not trying to do the same to me?"

"Because you agree with me."

"I believe I told you  _not_  to speak to the other competitors." The voice came from the doorway. Kai lost his focus on Skylor and turned to the Sensei, whom was standing with his fingers laced behind his back and a smirk on his face. "Come on, we don't have much time. There is a lot I need to teach you."

Rather than immediately speak with Garmadon, the first thing he did was seek out the climbing station. Just as he feared, his fire had done irreparable damage; the bark of the trees had been scorched, their branches fallen and leaves turned to ash. And yet, despite the destruction he'd caused, the judges had given him what he desired. He still had trouble wrapping his head around it.

Garmadon coughed, so Kai broke away from the scene and turned to face the Sensei. "Yes, it is spectacular that you managed to accomplish that," Garmadon said. "However, I'm confused. The base of the trees have no burns, but the branches were completely incinerated. How'd you do it?"

"I shot up," Kai responded.

"You fired at a distance? Kai, that's a very . . .  _advanced_  technique for young Fire Elementals, if not all," Garmadon said slowly. "Where'd you learn offensive techniques? They certainly don't teach those in the Fire Village."

Kai shrugged. "That was the first time I've done it, and it's not like I was a flame thrower, anyway. I shot fireballs. It was probably just because I was mad—my powers always flare up when I'm angry."

"Can you still do it?"

He shrugged, but tried anyway. Facing the nearest dummy, Kai flicked his right wrist so flames would envelop his hand. He closed his eyes and stepped forward, focusing all his energy on pushing the fire away from him. A wave of heat passed over his arm, burning white hot at his knuckles until he couldn't take it anymore. And then, he punched, releasing the fire he'd felt burning inside.

Kai opened his eyes, pleased at the sight before him: the dummy had burst into flames.

"Good. If you have spare time during the Tournament, work on making those attacks faster and more automatic," Garmadon instructed. "Now, we need to discuss what you'll be saying during your interview. Since you're in the top three, everyone will want to know more about you, including the competitors. Every piece of information you give is a weapon for others to use. So, what are you willing to reveal?"

"Uh," Kai began, trying to think of something that wouldn't give the others an advantage over him. Deep in thought, Kai sat down on the floor, crossing his legs. Garmadon followed suit. "What will they be asking me?"

"Personal stuff—like if you have any family, or a lover. They want to know more about you, so they may not ask many questions about your plans for winning the Tournament. When those come around, you'll need to be very careful."

"What am I supposed to say if they ask about my family?" Kai said. "I don't want to lie, but if I open up about it, everyone here will know who my dad is. What will Form do?"

There was no telling what kind of person Chamille was, and Kai knew so little about her it made him wary. How far would she be willing to go? Would she turn into his father if she felt it was necessary?

"Nothing, hopefully," Garmadon said. "Dareth isn't stupid. He does his research before he interviews the competitors, so he'll definitely be asking you about your father. You just need to choose what to say."

Skylor wanted him to be honest. Garmadon wanted him to speak wisely.

What was he supposed to do?

"I'm going to assume averting the topic is out of the question," Kai said, resting his chin on his right palm. "How do I know how much information to give out? Should I just be really vague?"

"Being vague will only interest Mind and Amber, as well as lead Dareth to persist. Try to find the right words to satisfy them."

"Amber?" Kai said. "What could Skylor do?"

"Kai, the Amber Elementals have spent their entire existence hiding their true power from others," Garmadon said. "I'm in no position to tell you, either. But as of now, the safety of her people lies in Skylor's hands."

Kai tried to understand. He failed. "Why would they bother hiding their power? That doesn't make any sense."

Garmadon sighed. "If you look around at the world, it does. Have you ever wondered why certain Elemental Villages are worse than others?" he inquired, folding his hands across his lap. "Take Cole, for example. If he were to put his heart into it, he could, like all other Earth Elementals, create devastating earthquakes and leave cities in ruin. However, within the confines of his village, he's undoubtedly had to fight for the basic necessities—such as food, water, and clothing—his entire life. Remind you of anything?"

"The Fire Village."

"If the truth behind the Amber Elementals was revealed, they would be slaughtered," Garmadon concluded. "Listen to me—if the bond forming between you and Skylor is real, please encourage her to choose her element over her own life. Many,  _many_  lives are at stake here, and I don't think she understands that."

"I'm not going to ask her to sacrifice herself—not for something I can't be sure will even happen," he said, shaking his head.

Disappointment was present on Garmadon's face as he said, "I expected better from you, Kai. Your father never would have disagreed to this."

"My father believed that everyone deserves a chance," Kai snapped. "I don't care if you say his death served a higher purpose. Had he thought otherwise, your brother wouldn't have lived. Not that he deserved to in the first place."

 _"That's enough!"_  Garmadon said. "You know _nothing_  of Wu!"

"And you don't know anything about my father!" Kai countered. He jumped up, ready to leave when he felt tears sting his eyes. Why was he always so  _volatile_  around Garmadon? "Stop telling me you do when you only knew him for a few weeks! I knew him for eight years of my life!"

"Facing death can do  _wonders_  when bringing the truth out of a person," Garmadon said. "Did you know that the first-borns aren't the only ones who can inherit Elemental power? Your father knew. Do you  _really_ think your sister can't control the elements as you can?"

Kai didn't respond. Instead, he turned on his heel and stalked out of the room, refusing to look back. Maybe Garmadon was right. But Kai didn't  _want_ him to be right. Why would his father trust someone he barely knew more than his own son? 

Shade was waiting for his turn in the hallway, leaning against the wall. Rather than ignore him as Kai hoped he would, Shade grabbed his wrist as he passed, mumbling, "Watch your back, Fire. You and the brat are at the top of our list."

Kai tried to pull his wrist free from Shade's grip, but it was too strong. Shade was waiting for a response. He gave him one. "Why, because you're scared of us? I don't blame you—we did get higher scores."

"Yet you ally yourselves with who, the love-birds?" Shade said, then laughed. "Good luck."

"Cole got a thirteen. That's one placement away from you," Kai pointed out.

"And I'm only one away from you," Shade hissed. "We all know you only got your score for burning down the climbing station. Don't pretend you can beat us." He released Kai's wrist and walked towards the training room, bumping Kai's shoulder as he passed. Kai stared, but then shook his head and made his way to the elevator doors and pressed the button. 

Once in the elevator, Kai was able to think more about the situation. He had three allies and four enemies. Pretty decent odds, if he ignored the fact that Shade and his friends were out for his life. But he also had allies like Cole and Lloyd, who were going to be powerful forces once the Tournament began. And with Jay's knowledge as their edge, they could probably win a fight against Shadow and his friends. If they were lucky.

The elevator slowed to a stop, but not on his floor. However, when the doors opened, Jay didn't step in. He stood in the doorway to keep the doors from closing, flashing Kai a grin as he did. Then, he narrowed his eyes, turning his countenance somber. "Alliance meeting on the roof in four hours. Be there."

The forced seriousness in Jay's tone almost made him laugh. "I'll try. Why are we having a meeting?"

"Well, the Tournament starts tomorrow, so Cole thinks it would be best if we talk about what we plan on doing. We're pretty much just going to lay out the rules of the alliance."

Though he wasn't surprised, he still asked, "Why are you in contact with Cole? We're supposed to be on our own today."

"Because we're allies. Also, it's not like the floors are exactly  _private,_ " Jay replied with a careless wave of his hand. "It doesn't matter. I'll pass on the news to Lloyd, so you just focus on getting there."

"Okay, I will."

With a salute, Jay stepped back and allowed the elevator doors to close.

* * *

According to Patty, the time between their meeting with Sensei Garmadon and the interviews themselves were intended for rest. There was an assortment of snacks available on the dining table, the TV was on at full volume, and pyjamas had been laid out on his bed in case he wanted to sleep. Kai almost accepted the offer of sleep, knowing he would get none that night, but instead sat on his bed, watching the busy city from his windows. From so high above, the cars below looked tiny, and the people like ants he would see building mounds in the dirt.

Even the sight before him couldn't dispel the knot of anxiety that had been slowly tying itself in his stomach. By that time tomorrow, he would be in the Tournament. He could be dead in 24 hours.

Kai reached for the remote on the bedside table. It activated at the tap of his finger and he turned the dial to the first option, watching as the windows surrounding him adjusted to his command. He immediately shut his eyes at what he saw.

His father's interview. Dareth spoke, asking a question, and then a voice he'd almost forgotten responded.

 _"If I'm going to win, I'm doing it for my family. Everything I do—no, everything I'll_ ever _do is for them."_

Kai felt heat behind his eyes and opened them, taking in the now-blurry image before him. A golden suit, red tie, and shining, mordoré skin. It took every ounce of self-control not to look away or close his eyes again. He had pictures, sure, but while they were posed, videos were real. Every movement, every word . . . genuine.

Or not. His father had chosen to die, and given up his family in exchange for Wu's life. Even if what he was saying to Dareth was true at the time, his father died a different man. The Tournament changed him.

 _Facing death can do_  wonders _when bringing the truth out of a person._

Would it change Kai, too? What if it already had?

The interview ended and Dareth moved on to the next competitor. It was then that Kai knew what he was going to do during his interview. He'd been struggling to choose between Skylor's advice and Garmadon's, but the decision came easily to him now.

He would choose both.

* * *

"Now that we're all here," Cole began, "we can finally get this meeting started. The Tournament starts tomorrow, so if we're going to keep this alliance alive, we'll need to lay out some ground rules. Any ideas?"

"No backstabbing," Jay said immediately, glancing between Kai and Lloyd. "If you plan on it, leave now."

"Work together as a team," Kai suggested. "We need to have each others' backs out there. If someone's in danger, help them."

Cole nodded. "Good. Have anything to add, Lloyd?"

"No sacrificing ourselves," Lloyd said, eyes on Kai. "We shouldn't be dying because of each other."

"And if we're put in a match together?" Jay asked.

"If it comes down to it—"

"Think about who should be moving on," Kai butted in. "Ask yourselves who's stronger, or who has a greater need to return home. No one dies without reason."

Lloyd stared at the ground. Kai pried himself away from the sight a few moments later, pushing both Lloyd and his father out of his head and squinted his eyes at the force-field, observing it with inquisition. It was faded during the day time, almost invisible. Had he not seen it the night before, he was sure he would have never noticed it was there at all. With silence hovering over the four allies, he broke away from the group and picked up a pebble from one of the nearby flower pots, squeezing it between his thumb and his index finger. He concentrated on the force field, waiting patiently until he could see its blue color clearly, and breathed in. Then, he threw the rock, landing it square on the field.

The entire sphere surrounding the rooftop rippled. It became visible suddenly, the pebble's impact casting waves in its blue shield. Kai looked on in awe, watching as it slowly faded back to transparency. It buzzed as it settled down, and he did nothing but stand still and listen as the energy within recomposed itself. In a few minutes, all was silent.

"What was that?" Cole asked aloud, and Kai did not answer. There was little technology in the Fire Village, and if Garmadon's assumptions were correct, Cole must have been feeling the same astonishment he was. Ninjago City was incredible, but aside from the nindroids, he'd yet to see the technology Cyrus Borg was so famous for. And now, he had.

"A force field," Jay responded, walking up to the rooftop's bannister and reaching out in an attempt to touch it. His fingers were just short, but electricity sparked between the force field and his fingertips. He stepped back, holding up his right hand as it shot out small bolts of lightning. "Powered by Lightning Elementals, too. I had no idea this even existed."

Next to Kai, Cole snickered. "Are they keeping secrets from you?"

"Probably. I wouldn't doubt it—they've done it before," Jay said, not turning back to face the others. "I mean, haven't you guys ever wanted to know more about yourself? Why you can do what you can?"

Not even Cole spoke up as Jay visibly shuddered. He faced them again, blue shirt clenched in his fist as the scar above his right eye was more salient than ever. Behind him, the force field glowed, crackling with electricity. He was  _affecting_ _it._

"I knew there had to be more to my life than being hooked up to a machine," he continued, voice quiet. "I stuck my nose in places it didn't belong, and yeah, I got punished, but I'm glad I did it. How else was I supposed to know there was more to the world than the white walls of the facility?"

"A machine?" Lloyd said. He tugged on Kai's sleeve, whispering, "What does he mean?"

Before Kai could explain, Cole spoke, his words ringing with disbelief. "So, the rumors are true? They keep you guys locked up and force you to pump out electricity to the entire country?"

Jay nodded, eyes brimming with tears. He leapt forward in a sudden motion, wrapping his arms around Cole in a tight hug. He buried his head in his shoulder and mumbled, "When the rebellion started, everything got worse. They starved people, and tortured them, and—" he broke off, and Kai just then became aware that Lloyd was standing next to him, green eyes glassy as he seemed to stare at nothing. "Sorry, I forgot Lloyd was here."

"He'll be fine," Kai said, pulling the child closer to him. He was shivering, even in Kai's hold.

The four stayed still; Jay in Cole's arms, and Lloyd in Kai's. However, a few minutes in the tranquil atmosphere was all Kai needed to realize that Lloyd had yet to stop trembling. Kai looked down on him, but saw only green mist lying stagnant in his two palms, pulsating with each rapid heartbeat. Lloyd choked back a sob and the mist expanded until it completely covered his hands, then formed a ball. And, with the way they were standing, it was pointed directly at Cole and Jay.

"Get down!" Kai screamed. He backed away from Lloyd immediately, searching for cover. Before he could, the ball of energy burst from Lloyd's chest.

"Cole, no!" Jay shouted, shoving Cole off of him and to the ground. The last thing Kai could see before being pushed into the air by the blast was Jay watching in horror as the ball exploded in his face.

The force field shattered like glass, sending blue shards all around them. Despite the stinging sensation all over the front of his body, Kai curled up on the floor, using his arms to cover his face and neck as the fragments like glass cut through his clothes and bore into his skin.

Sharp pain stabbed through his entire body. He groaned loudly, trying to convince himself to get up, because how was he supposed to survive the Tournament if he couldn't handle a little glass? He shifted slowly, moving his legs and using his left arm to push himself up and into a sitting position. He had to move, no matter how bad the idea sounded. They needed medical help—they couldn't go into the Tournament injured.

A scream was all he needed to propel him forward. With a grunt, he used the nearby bannister to haul himself to his feet. He scanned the area, locating Cole and Jay among the wreckage. Cole was kneeling next to Jay, shouting at him desperately, but he was unresponsive, laying on his back. Lloyd was nowhere to be found.

It only took a few quick steps to get there. Cole didn't look at him, too distracted by Jay's state to even care. Once he saw, Kai's hand covered his mouth as he took it all in, horrified at the image.

The skin on the left side of Jay's face had been completely burned off, leaving it scorched and red. The remainder of his upper body was the same, his shirt incinerated. Kai snapped his eyes shut and bent over at what he saw next, stomach churning as he tried not to vomit.

A shard was lodged in his right eye.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so don't take the Lloyd-hugging-Kai scene as anything more than comforting one another. In no way is there EVER going to be greenflame in this story. Sorry, shippers.


	7. Interviews and Poison

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE ENDING IS SO RUSHED I'M SORRY.
> 
> Sorry for the late update, especially after what happened last chapter! School started and I got super into We Bare Bears, but I'm back! May I present to you, Exposition: The Chapter. It's the last chapter before the Tournament begins!
> 
> Also, before the chapter begins, I should warn you that this chapter discusses some serious topics. I'll always put up a warning at the beginning of the chapter if it contains (triggering?) content, so here goes:
> 
> WARNING: This chapter contains a very brief moment of what could be perceived as self-harm. This scene takes place after a chapter break, and an asterisk (*) will be placed below the line for easy viewing.

He opened his eyes to white.

Everything was numb. He sat up in bed, trying to push the haziness of sleep out of his body and mind as he took in his surroundings. He couldn't recall falling asleep, or even entering the white walls of what appeared to be a hospital room. Wondering how, his left fingers found themselves on his neck, feeling a ball of cotton taped to his skin. And then, he remembered.

After finding Jay's injuries, the door to the rooftop had burst open. A swarm of men in white and Tournament Guard flooded the area, prying Cole and himself away from Jay's unconscious body. Cole resisted, kicking at them and trying to wriggle out of their grasp, but they injected him with a needle and his body went limp, head lolling to the side uselessly. Kai watched on as they dragged him away, and soon, his own world went dark at the prick of a needle entering his flesh.

He needed to find them. Needed to make sure Jay was okay. He couldn't have lost an ally before the Tournament even began.

 _Jay isn't dead_ , he reminded himself,  _just wounded. Like you._

He threw the covers off of him, wincing at the sight of his body. Bandages were wrapped across his torso, arms, and presumably legs, besmirched with blood where the electrified shards of the force field had pierced his skin.

It was hard to keep the world from spinning as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. He would have to take it slow, or he would risk passing out again. Whatever they had injected him with made standing up difficult, and he almost fell back onto the bed when a wave of cold washed over him.  _Slower, Kai._

Refusing to leave the room bare-chested, he located a shirt on a chair near the door and moved toward it, one small step at a time. It matched the same, dull green color as the pants they'd given him, which felt strange after wearing nothing but red and the training uniform for almost a week. He slipped it on carefully, minding the bandages as to not disturb them. Once the shirt was on, he continued to the door. It was made of glass, but not transparent at all. He was glad for the privacy, and knowing that no one could see him as he milled about in the room. He had a feeling the medics wouldn't approve of what he was doing, but it was now out in the open that he'd been getting together with the other competitors and he had no desire to sit around and wait for Garmadon to reprimand him.

The door handle was cold to the touch. It clicked as he turned it, and he swung the door open. He peeked outside, only to find the hallway devoid of people. Wheelchairs and stretchers laid absently on the white tiles, inviting Kai across the threshold and toward them. He looked both ways to ensure no one was there, then turned right and strode down the hallway, opening each room door in hopes of finding either Cole or Jay. Although Jay was the one he really wanted to see, Cole was more likely to be in one of the rooms. Unless, that was, he came to before Kai and had a similar idea. With the way he had kicked and screamed when they took him away, there was definitely no stopping Cole when it came to something like Jay. Chances were he was already at Jay's side, and Kai was searching for nothing. But he kept going, because the more he stayed still, the more his thoughts retreated to Lloyd. He didn't want to think about what he would do next time he saw him. What Cole or Jay would do.

To distract himself, he thought of the force field. It made sense, but the more he thought about it, the less it did. Jay may have been unaffected, but Kai was sure that if he'd gotten as close as Jay did, he would be dead, or at least paralyzed. What purpose was there for a lethal force field? If someone was trying to jump, it wouldn't prevent them from death, as he was sure it was meant to do. Unless it became so when the electricity—lightning—charged it, though the thought just made him sigh. He knew nothing about technology, so why did he bother? If there was anyone to ask about it, it was someone from Ninjago City. Trying to figure it out on his own was just useless.

A door slammed shut down the hall. Kai whipped around to face the source, instinctively taking a step back at what he saw. Two Tournament Guard, led by a man with a thick, black ponytail, marched into the infirmary, their expressions dark. The man with the ponytail pointed at Kai, commanding his subordinates to seize him. Kai glanced over his shoulder, seeing nothing but empty hallway behind him. Then, he ran.

It was near impossible with the sleep inducers clouding his thoughts and actions. He would stumble every so often, but he developed the quick tactic of pushing himself off the wall each time to keep moving. Every footstep they took, every word they shouted . . . it was all thunder behind him, coalescing into one, agitating noise that pushed him forward. He didn't know why he was running, or why he was so afraid. They wouldn't hurt him, would they?

At the end of the hall were elevator doors. Upon arriving, he crashed into the wall, using it to support his weight as the drugs won the war against his own adrenaline. He pressed the button frantically, looking over his shoulder as the Tournament Guard closed in on him. He turned around to see them completely, focusing on their bootlaces. Soon, their hands were on him, pushing him down to his knees. The white hallway began to blur before him, but the redness of the clothes on the man approaching him were crystal clear. He knelt down, lifting Kai's chin so they were staring into each other's eyes, and said, "Do you  _enjoy_  causing problems, Fire? Because I  _sincerely_  regret choosing you right now."

His mouth was dry. The only thing he could bring himself to do was shake his head, even as he screamed on the inside at what he'd just heard. The Ritual was random selection, so no one was ever  _chosen_  to enter the Tournament. But, then again, what were the chances of both he  _and_  Lloyd being selected? The two children of previous competitors? Competitors that were allies and had died for each another?

The man let go of him and took a step back, uttering words Kai couldn't comprehend.

_"Aroh anu onmos."_

It was the last thing he heard before crumpling to the floor like a rag doll.

* * *

This time, waking up didn't feel like it normally should. Rather than the slow grasp of consciousness, or a sudden pain in his chest, he awoke all at once.

His eyes opened with ease, as though he'd merely blinked. The familiar, silky sheets were soft beneath him as he looked around, taking in his surroundings. Rather than a hospital room, he'd awoken back in his room on the Fire floor.

Evening light shone through the windows, urging him to get out of bed and find Lou or Patty. The interviews would be starting soon, and he needed to get ready for them. Lou would kill him if he didn't have the chance to because of something as trivial as sneaking out to have an alliance meeting. Besides, he needed to ask Lou some questions. And not just about the force field, either. About why he was a competitor in the first place.

He threw the covers off and got out of bed. Without the lingering affects of drugs or sleep, it was fairly easy to get changed into something red, put on some boots, and be on his way out of the room. He rounded the corner to the main area, only to freeze in place. Garmadon was speaking to Lou in a hushed voice on the stairs of the dining platform, but he'd yet to see him. Kai sidestepped so his back was against the wall back in the small corridor, out of sight. They were quiet, but if he strained his hearing . . .

". . . should be waking up now," Lou said. "Tell him what you need to, then get out. Clouse's little sleeping trick cost us forty-five minutes of preparation time, so we'll need every second we have left to make sure he looks perfect."

"And how do you expect him to understand if he doesn't know they exist?" Garmadon asked. "If no one else does?"

"They will if he explains for them."

It was then that Kai chose to announce his arrival, purposely taking loud steps so both would look in his direction. When Garmadon and Lou saw him, scowls formed on their faces, and Kai knew he was in trouble. He would have expected Garmadon to be with Lloyd, informing him of whatever punishment he would get for accidentally attacking his allies.

Were they even allies anymore? Would Lloyd be kicked out, even over something he couldn't control? Kai probably wouldn't have a say in it, nor Cole. In the end, it would be Jay's decision. He was the real victim.

"I imagine you have a good explanation for everything that has transpired," Garmadon said, folding his arms across his chest as Kai approached them. Garmadon glanced at Lou, then pointed at the dining table. "Sit."

Kai did as he was told. Lou and Garmadon sat on the opposite side of the table, doing nothing but watch him for what felt like ages. They had something to tell him, but they were holding back—searching for the right way to say it. He could see it in the uneasiness of their motions, how they shifted in their seats. He prepared himself for the worst; that Jay had died, or Lloyd was to suffer at the hands of the price of treason. What was so terrible that Lou had to be around for Garmadon's report?

Garmadon was quick to begin what Kai knew would end up as an interrogation. "Do you wish to explain?"

"What, Lloyd didn't tell you?"

"Lloyd has yet to take responsibility for what happened," he replied. "Either way, it's too late to condemn him for his actions, as the Tournament of Elements starts tomorrow. I spoke to Chen about it, and he's decided to deal with this in a more lenient manner."

As if on cue, Lou placed a pair of bracelets on the table. They were thick and metallic, giving off the feel of prison shackles rather than jewelry. "These are element-blockers," Lou explained. "Chen has requested that each competitor wears them from now on, or at least until Lloyd confesses. I don't know much about them, but their sole purpose is to, in a sense, 'turn off' your elemental abilities."

"These exist?" Kai asked, picking one up and toying with it. It was heavy, but the inside was lined with thin padding, so at least it wouldn't pinch or chafe his skin.

"A Borg invention," Lou said. "Be careful when using them; they drain you of your energy over time. You can put them on just fine, but only non-Elementals can take them off. If you ever feel dizzy or faint, be sure to tell me, or even Patty. Got it?"

Kai nodded, then wriggled his hand through the blocker until it slid onto his wrist. It tightened on contact, the metal shifting so it fit properly and wouldn't slip off with the help of gravity. For a moment, everything seemed fine. But a sudden wave of enervation then washed over him, and it took what little vitality he had left to stop himself from fainting. He felt limp and weak, his limbs like static.

He blinked. Bit by bit, the feeling faded away, only to be replaced by dread as it dawned on him that he would have to go through it again with the other blocker. What was the point of forcing every competitor to wear them if Lloyd was the one to use his powers out of place?

 _Because Lloyd never confessed,_  Kai thought,  _so now Chen is taking it out on everyone else. Punishing them for something they didn'_ _t_ _do_ _—_ _punishing_ _me for something I didn'_ _t_ _do_. The other competitors were already wary of Lloyd. When the news got out, it would just be adding fuel to the fire. They would hate him; want to get back at him, kill him. Make it even harder for Kai to protect him.

That was, if Kai chose to keep his promise. He still had no idea of how he felt over the whole ordeal. Would he forgive Lloyd? Could he? Lloyd had told him he couldn't control his powers, so it had been an accident, but the damage was high. The foundation of trust in their alliance had shattered along with the force field, and they didn't have time to rebuild it before the Tournament began. If Kai was going to decide whether or not to trust Lloyd again, it was now or never.

But he couldn't choose. He didn't know what to do. He wanted to protect Lloyd, but in order to do so, he needed to trust him. And, after what happened a few hours ago, learning to trust him again was going to be challenging. Kai thought hard. He needed to strop treating Lloyd as some defenseless child. Lloyd could hurt people, even kill them if he wanted to. The only thing keeping the trust apart was his lack of  _control_ over the killing thing. It would be hard to teach, principally because his powers were brought about by fear. Who could expect an eleven year-old to control their fear? And during the Tournament of Elements, no less.

"Kai? How are you feeling?" Lou's voice carried him back to reality, where he shook his head. It pained him, feeling like his brain had been rattled around in his skull. A side effect of the blocker, no doubt.

"I have a bit of a headache, but other than that, I think I'm fine," he answered. His head hurt and his body was feeble, as though his bones were hollow. He didn't mention the last part for the sake of them both.

"Good. Before you put on the other one and possibly pass out, we need to talk," Garmadon said. "I have something very important to ask of you."

"Look, I don't know if I'm going to ally with Lloyd again," Kai started, knowing well where this conversation was going. "I'll think about it, but keep in mind that he almost killed—"

"That's not what I meant," Garmadon cut in. He exchanged a look with Lou, who shrugged and motioned for him to continue. With a hard look, Garmadon laced his fingers together on the table and asked, "Will you take the blame for Lloyd?"

Kai's jaw dropped. "Are you joking?"

"Unfortunately, no," Garmadon replied, a solemn expression on his face. "I was informed by Toxikita's stylist that her competitor and Cole had snuck off together, only to do who knows what. We  _all_ know of Cole and Jay's relationship, and taking what happened to Jay into account . . . we're worried for Lloyd's safety."

Cole and Toxikita had snuck off together. His gut twisted at the thought, because deep down inside, something told him it was Lloyd-related. Revenge-related.

"What does this have to do with me taking the blame?"

"If Cole told Toxikita what happened, the truth  _will_ get around. What do you think will happen when the competitors find out it was Lloyd's fault?"

It took a long few seconds for the message to sink in. "They'll want to kill him, so you want me to stop that from happening. You want me to die for him!" he accused, jumping up and out of his chair. "Well, I won't do it. As long as Nya is alive, I will  _never_ let myself die for  _anything_. Understand?"

"Sit down," Lou instructed firmly. "The blocker is skewing your emotional responses. You need to go about this calmly."

He didn't know how. This wasn't being asked to just take the blame, but to die. Let the hatred of others kill him before they could kill someone he barely knew, barely trusted. Someone who had hurt him.

An urge engulfed him, taking over all reason:  _get out._ He didn't know who was speaking in his mind, but he listened, even if it was the blocker corrupting his emotions as Lou said it was. It certainly  _felt_ like himself, and at that moment, it was the only thing he needed to convince him to run. All he needed was a  _where._

One place occurred to him. He snatched the other blocker, turned on his heels, and stormed down the stairs and straight to the elevator. It opened at his command and he stepped inside, slamming his hand down on the button for the Earth floor. The doors closed just as he registered Lou and Garmadon's pleas for him to stop.

He clenched the other blocker tight. He'd grabbed it on impulse, but now that he knew where he was going, there may be some other use for it. The thought made him wince, but there was no backing down now. Whatever Cole had done with Toxikita, Kai was going to find out, no matter the cost. As the elevator went down, he fiddled with it, only to discover that if he pulled on it, it split into two halves connected by an invisible hinge. If Kai was to use the blocker, all he would need to do was slap it on. It would adjust itself after that.

As he breathed deeply, trying to relax, one word spoken by Jay before the accident resurfaced:  _rebellion._ Jay couldn't have been talking about the one seventy-five years ago, wherein the Ice Elementals were finished—or so he'd thought. There had to be something else going on out there. But even then, one question remained. What was it?

The doors opened, and Kai walked inside, looking around the main area of the suite. It was almost identical to his own, the black fabric and clothing strewn across the floor being the only distinction. It was deadly silent, but the sound of sudden coughing came from the bedroom area, drawing him farther inside. His boots were silent on the wooden floors, and he made sure to keep it that way, taking each step with caution. The Kabuki watched him silently, not moving. When he made eye contact with one, it rubbed its fist in a circle over its chest, shaking its head.

The coughing loudened as Kai traversed down the small hallway. At the end of the hall, the bedroom designated for the competitor was cracked open, leaking light into the otherwise dark corridor. But his own silence only lasted for so long, and the floorboard creaked under him at his next step. The sound echoed, or could it have been the footsteps of Cole coming to the doorway? In the midst of his fear, he couldn't tell.

The door swung open, turning the leak of light into a flood. He could see Cole's silhouette coming toward him, but Kai didn't move. Cole wasn't going to hurt him.

He was wrong. The first thing he felt were two big, strong hands connecting with his shoulders and shoving him to the floor. Pain burst all over the right side of his body, and he was left cringing and taking in quick, sharp breaths through gritted teeth. But still, he didn't get up and fight. If Cole thought he was a threat, there was no getting the information he wanted.

"What are you doing here?" Cole demanded, looking down on him. Kai glanced around, spotting the blocker a foot away from him. He must have let go of it when he'd fallen.

He grabbed the blocker as he stood up slowly, making sure to keep it out of Cole's line of sight. If his plan was going to work, he'd need the element of surprise. Calmly, he said, "Listen, I know you're hurt and on edge. I feel the same way. But I just want to know what happened to Jay."

There was a long pause before Cole spoke again. The image of Jay burned and full of glass still haunted the back of his own mind—he couldn't imagine what it was like for Cole. "He's burned, wounded. Blind in his right eye."

Kai closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath as he processed the new information. "They couldn't fix his eye?"

"No," Cole said briskly. "It's just—why would Lloyd do that? Why did he have to hurt Jay?"

"I don't think he meant to," Kai answered. "He loses control over his powers when he gets scared."

"Why didn't you tell us?"

Cole was right; withholding that information from them had been a mistake. And now, because of his thoughtlessness, Jay was almost dead. "I guess I just didn't expect him to do that," Kai admitted. "Jay's story was sad, not scary. What do you think was going on in his head?"

"I don't care what he was feeling," Cole said. "All I want is for him to learn his lesson."

The contempt in Cole's voice threw him off. "What do you mean?"

"We don't deserve this," Cole said. "You, Jay, and I? None of this should have happened to us before the Tournament. We're going in with a  _disadvantage_ , Kai, and now Lloyd needs to pay. So, what do I say we do? Poetic justice."

"Poetic justice?"

"You know, like an eye for an eye?"

His heart skipped a beat when he realized just what Cole meant. He wasn't talking about some metaphor—he was being  _literal_.

Cole was going to hurt Lloyd. Not only hurt him, but blind him in one of his eyes.

"You can't," Kai blurted out. He fumbled around for an excuse, then said, "You'll just get in trouble."

"What are they going to do? Kill me?" Cole laughed sarcastically. "I'm already  _in_ trouble. The Tournament just so happens to be my death sentence."

His mind raced back to the man with the ponytail, but he shook his head at the thought. If there was anyone to ask about it, it was Lou or Garmadon. He cringed, knowing well those were two people he just forsook. Not to mention that Lou needed him to get ready, too. If Kai failed the interview, he would have no sponsors. Going in prepared was something he  _really_ needed.

But now, Lloyd was in danger. He'd burned down the training room to secure his place in the alliance, and there was no way he would let it fall apart over something he could prevent from happening. If Jay chose to forgive Lloyd, there was a chance the alliance could survive to the Tournament. "What happened to Jay was an  _accident_. If you hurt Lloyd, you'll be no better than him."

"How am I supposed to believe it was an accident? He fired right at us."

"I told you, he can't control his powers," Kai said. "My powers act up whenever I'm angry, and his do whenever he's scared. Imagine if the same thing happened for you."

"That  _doesn't matter_ ," Cole gritted out, slamming his fist against the wall. The sound echoed throughout the hall.

"Can't you just promise you won't hurt him?" Kai pleaded. "You can yell and scream at him, but  _don't_ blind him. If anything, it should be Jay's decision what to do with him."

Minutes passed as Cole tossed the idea around in his mind. Then, he sighed. "Fine."

"Shake on it."

Kai held out his left hand—the free one. Cole eyed it suspiciously. "Aren't you supposed to shake with your right hand?"

"It's a custom in the Fire Village," he lied. "Shaking with your left hand is a sign of trust."

Although reluctantly, Cole took his hand. Seizing the opportunity, Kai brought the blocker from behind his back and slammed it down on Cole's exposed wrist, shutting it immediately. Much like his own experience, Cole seemed fine at first. But soon, the blocker took its toll on his body, and Cole crashed against the wall. It wasn't long before he fell to the floor in a heap at Kai's feet.

Kai knelt next to him, if only to make sure Cole didn't pass out. He moved the Earth competitor so he was sitting against the wall, and when he was positive that he was fine, Kai stood up again and prodded Cole with his foot. "What did you do with Toxikita?" he demanded, his voice more commanding than he'd ever heard it before.

The only response to come from Cole was a cough. Kai's stomach sunk at the sight, and he stared on, wide-eyed in horror.

Because when Cole coughed, he coughed up blood.

His hand flew to his mouth, and Cole laughed at his reaction. 

"What is it, Kai?" Cole asked, wiping blood from his mouth with the back of his hand. "Does this remind you of something?"

Kai looked down on himself, seeing one thing: his right fist had found its way over his heart.

* * *

It wasn't long after that that he ran again. Why did he keep running? He was sick of it—he just wanted to sleep.

At the thought of sleep, the blocker tugged on his mind. It threatened to pull him under, making every second with it a struggle to remain conscious. However, falling asleep wasn't an option. Lou would kill him, because there was a chance he wouldn't wake up if he did. Then again, going comatose would probably be far better than whatever the future had in store for him.

He could only look in the mirror for a few seconds at a time. He didn't look as much like his father as Nya did, but now that he was wearing the golden suit, there was no denying their resemblance. Dareth would know right away—the  _competitors_ would know right away. But Zane had already figured it out, and he was sure Lloyd knew too, so what about the others? Was there even a point in trying to keep it a secret?

Kai adjusted the red tie so it would stop squeezing his neck. "I thought the point of my costume at the Opening Ceremonies was to  _forget_ the gold. Why bother bringing it back?"

"The point of the costume was to cast aside  _stereotypes,_ " Lou replied. "This is about embracing who you are. Do you think you can do that?"

"It depends. Am I embracing myself, my element, or the Fire Village?"

The question echoed around the preparation chamber. It was located in one of the various basements of the building, only an underground tunnel's walk from the outdoor stage the interviews would take place in. It was a small room, but big enough that fabric and make up could be strewn everywhere. Lou wasn't the most organized person in a rush, apparently.

"All three." Lou smiled at him in the mirror, the same mischievous grin he always wore when he was onto something. "Now, tell me: How much do you know of the events that occurred seventy-five years ago?"

"The Ice Rebellion?" He received a nod in response, so he continued. "Whatever they taught us, I guess. But I don't know how much of it is true. Not anymore."

"What do you think you know?"

He closed his eyes for a moment, recalling what he'd been taught in school. "They rebelled against the Tournament and Villages. They almost won, but they were bombed. What about it?"

"You're missing some details, but you  _do_ have the gist of it," Lou said. "For starters, the Ice Village wasn't alone in their efforts. Other Villages supported them, such as your own. Allies, if you wish."

"Okay, so they—we—were allies. What's your point?"

"Have you ever heard of a  _shinobi_? Or, as some would call it, a ninja?"

Of course he had. They were beings of legend, recorded only in old diaries and artwork. "They were assassins," Kai said. "Criminals, right?"

For what seemed like millionth time, a disappointed look crossed Lou's face at his response. "Not quite. They'd been around for hundreds of years, but their time came to an end during the Ice Rebellion. Do you know why?"

He shook his head. "No, I don't."

"It's simple, really," Lou said. "Those ninja represented the unity of Elemental and non-Elemental kind. They were assassins and killers, yes, but with good reason. They were insurgents, rising against the Tournament and the Village system as a whole. I believe they did their best to slander them in your history books, but they're not entirely gone. After all, I discovered them during my research on your kind.

"However, many were executed after the bombing. Those that weren't were captured and held prisoner here in Ninjago City, though some still say today that they should have received the same treatment. Personally, I don't think they deserved either."

"I don't get it," Kai said. "Why would they only kill some of them?"

"A  _very_ fine line," Lou answered. "There was only one thing that set aside the killed from the imprisoned: a mark on the back of their hands. I believe it should explain the origins of the Kabuki."

It was like he'd been kicked in the gut. He raised his right hand, dark eyes resting on the pink flame branded in his skin. "They spared the non-Elementals. But if they killed the ninja and bombed the Ice Elementals . . . how many died during that rebellion?"

"That was never recorded."

He could feel his fingers trembling, going  _tap tap tap_  against his leg. He hated this feeling, wherein the world seemed to crumble around him. Why was everything being kept hidden from him, like he was an animal waiting to snap? Because of a rebellion he knew nothing about? A rebellion he didn't know existed until a few hours ago, over a slip of the tongue?

Briefly, he wondered if Jay had once felt the same thing. How important were those secrets that they'd tortured him over it? If what Cole and the man with the ponytail said were true, would they throw someone into the Tournament over knowledge?

Lou's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "It's almost time to go, but there's one more thing I must do. Give me your wrists."

Kai turned around and held out his wrists for Lou. The left blocker had been put on upon his arrival at his floor, delivered by a Tournament Guard after Kai had been reported missing. Truthfully, he was just glad Garmadon wasn't there when he got back. He'd had some other business to attend to, apparently. He must have taken Kai's reaction as a firm  _no_.

Lou grabbed the blockers on his wrists and unlocked them, letting them drop to the floor. The blockers left thick, pink rings in his skin. Although his energy gain didn't hit him as hard as his energy loss, he could feel more will return to him. Breathing became easier, and the drowsiness from before gradually lifted.

"You'll be needing your fire during your interview," Lou explained. "It's just like the Opening Ceremonies, but no cue this time. Just light yourself up when you feel the time is right."

"But I'm not wearing anything underneath this," Kai said. "I'll just end up naked."

With a wink, Lou said slyly, "Trust me, this suit does a little more than burn."

* * *

When they arrived at the stage, Kai was separated from Lou and the other competitors and put into a private room. He couldn't see the stage, but a small television on a coffee table in front of the couch provided a clear viewing of the event. Though the stage was now empty, two big white cushioned chairs sat a few feet away from each other. For Dareth and the interviewee, no doubt.

The audience had already begun to fill the seats, and he was left pondering just how much money it would have cost them to see something like this live. Thousands, maybe more. Was it really worth it for something they could watch for free on television?

He shook his head. He would never understand these people.

His anxious pacing had just begun when music began to blare from the speakers in the room. He paused, listening. Dareth's voice filled the room, as sleazy and obnoxious as ever. A mere cover for the ingenious mind within, pulling people apart until their deepest secrets were for all of Ninjago to hear. He feared for Jay at this point.

Kai sat down on the couch as Dareth introduced Jacob, the first competitor to be interviewed. Kai himself would be one of the last, thanks to his high score. They always saved the best for last.

Jacob didn't go far into his life, but revealed that he was nearly blind. However, he could see using sound waves in the air around him. A disability, but an advantage, too. Sneaking around him would be futile.

Gravis didn't interest Kai, but Neuro did. He had an aura of mystery, not revealing much about himself, despite Dareth's prying. He showed that he could read Dareth's mind, and forewarned the competitors that he was not a force to be reckoned with. Bigger, better, and smarter than he looked. It could have been arrogance, but mind-reading should have been enough to get him a higher score than three. Although the tactic wasn't common, Kai had heard of it before: Neuro had gotten a low score on purpose. Hopefully the others wouldn't figure it out, because it gave Kai an edge against him.

Bolobo showcased his gruff personality, fit with a proud stance. He was confident.

And then, it was Zane. He was careful, dancing around each question like a ballerina. At the end of his five minutes, Kai didn't know anything more about him than he had before Zane's interview. He was smart, clever. But a score of five didn't say much for his fighting or Elemental skills.

Griffin Turner, the Speed Elemental, didn't have much to him but a bold personality and good looks. Kai could practically  _hear_ girls swooning in the audience. He was playing them, trying to get sponsors. It was working.

The Light Elemental,  _Paleface_ , as Kai'd nicknamed him, was elusive. He could turn invisible at will, and popped up behind Dareth suddenly, prompting him to scream and the audience to laugh. It earned a snicker from Kai.

The audience fell silent when Jay stepped onstage. Kai's stomach churned at the sight, but he couldn't look away. In a way, it was mesmerizing.

The light blue suit brought out the color in his one eye. The other was covered by a white medical eye patch, the once-gory mess concealed from view. Kai stared intently at Jay's face. There were no visible scars from the burns. At first, he was confused. He'd seen burn scars before. They were pink or red and wrinkled, making the skin look as through it was boiled. Jay had none. But then, he caught the slightest gleam of light on his face. His skin was fake, covered in layers of make-up to appear like nothing had ever happened at all. 

Jay sat down, failing to hide a wince as he did. It was hurting him.

"So, Jay—rumor has it you were attacked not too long ago. Is this true?" Dareth asked, a serious tone to his voice.

"Well, I think the answer is pretty obvious," Jay deadpanned, gesturing to his eye-patch.  Some of the audience snickered.

Dareth's brown suit shimmered in the light as he shifted in his seat, looking like he was caught off-guard. He recovered quickly. "And by whom?"

"I don't know, my back was turned to them when it happened," Jay said. A blatant lie; all of his wounds were on his front side. "Next thing I knew, I was waking up in a hospital bed."

"Why do you think anyone would attack you?"

The audience had gone quiet, a somber silence as they hung onto every detail. If the news had gotten out, they must have been waiting for this interview from the beginning. Even Kai was on the edge of his seat, waiting to hear what Jay had to say. Why would he leave Lloyd out of it? What did he have to gain from protecting him?

"One of the nurses told me it was an accident." Another lie. Probably.

It marked the end of the discussion. Dareth moved on, turning the conversation around on itself to ask him about more lighthearted things. But it was still dark, hearing what Jay would say about his past. He would talk about his parents, and all the supposed friends he had in the Lightning Village. Not once did he even  _hint_ at being forced to act as a generator for the nation, or his hunt for knowledge and the torture that came as a result. Nor the horrors he'd mentioned, with the starvation and the rebellion. At the end of his interview, he had the audience roaring with laughter, but the pit in Kai's stomach only grew. Did he do nothing but lie? And for what, to make others feel better?

Toxikita, wearing a tight top that revealed her midriff and a long, flowing green skirt, smiled viciously throughout her interview. She was cruel, unafraid of bragging about her abilities. The Poison Village was one of the richer Villages, solely because they provided Ninjago with chemical weaponry. There, she was allowed to practice fighting and killing in peace, and could apparently kill someone in more than four ways with her bare hands.

And she was his enemy. Just great.

Chamille and Ash both had similar ways of tackling their questions. To prove herself worthy, Chamille turned herself into Dareth, mimicking his voice and mannerisms perfectly. Much like Toxikita, she had trained to fight back in her Village. Ash revealed he'd done the same, only making their hatred of him evermore terrifying. They were  _killers_.

But nothing could have prepared him for what would come of Cole's interview. Midway through, Cole coughed, and everything fell still when the blood stained the white chair. Rookie mistake.

He didn't wait for Dareth to ask a question. What he said left Kai gasping, eyes widening in horror.

"A few days ago, a little bird told me something about the Fire Village. I wanted to follow up on it, so do you know what I did?"

Dareth looked nervous to continue the conversation. "What did you do?"

"I inhaled toxic gas."

"You . . . poisoned yourself?"

"Poisoned myself like you've been poisoning the Fire Village for seventy-five years."

There was an uproar. Some in the audience gasped, while others stood and screamed incomprehensible things at the stage. It was hard to tell what they were angry at, but apparently it didn't matter to Cole, because he began shouting, too, looking at something above the camera as he did.

"What are you going to do now, huh? Keep telling them that they're dying because of the volcano?"

The door to Kai's waiting room was kicked open, followed by a chorus of shouts. Guards marched in, spears at the ready. They looked angry, but also panicked. Cole dropping the bomb about the poison—in a time of rebellion, no less—was something to fear. Their movements were erratic, and Kai didn't register that they were commanding him to get up until a hand was grabbing his arm and yanking him to his feet. On screen, Cole's interview had been abruptly ended, the screen cutting to commercials just as the Tournament Guard entered the stage and dragged him away.

He couldn't look at the guards without wanting to throw up, knowing well that these were the people that were slowly killing his own. He struggled against the guard's grip, finally breaking free when he chose to kick their shin. His hands were out in front of them, as if warning them to stay back, but he couldn't afford to use his fire and expose himself. Trying to escape them was hopeless. They had weapons, and what did he have? Nothing. Not even hand-to-hand combat skills.

Before they could advance, a familiar, snake-like voice ordered them to stop. The guards parted, making way for the man with the ponytail that had terrorized Kai not too long ago. "I trust that you had nothing to do with this, Fire." Kai shook his head, and the man smiled. "Good. Come with me, we'll be taking you backstage before your interview begins."

The guards flanked him and they escorted him there, the sound of their heavy footsteps breaking what could have been complete silence. As they walked, his world and heart shattered. Everything he'd been taught, everything he'd thought he'd known . . . all a lie. His mother died because of the poison.  _He_ was supposed to die because of the poison. 

The man with the ponytail left them as soon as they arrived, presumably to go pick up Skylor. He peeked past the curtains, catching sight of Shade shaking hands with Dareth and bowing to a round of applause from the audience. He gulped, stepping away from the curtains. In his mind, he went over everything he'd practiced with Garmadon. Short, simple responses that would help the audience like him. Child's play.

Once the audience quieted down, someone lightly pushed him from behind, causing him stumble onto the stage. From there, he steadied himself, blinking rapidly as he tried to adjust his eyes to the bright lights shining in his face. Once things became easier to see, he made his way over to Dareth and the chairs, taking note of the lack of blood on his chair. It was already gone.

Dareth shook his hand and they sat, Kai's foot tapping on the wooden panels anxiously. It only worsened when everything fell still, and he could feel everybody in the room watching him. They would be judging his every word, every action. He needed to put on a good show. It could mean the difference between life or death.

When he turned to face Dareth, he found him watching him expectantly. "I'm sorry, did you say something?"

Laughter. "I was just saying how nervous you look," he said. "There's no need to be, so  _lighten up_ , will you? It's always the young ones, so afraid of crowds and other people."

He couldn't help it—it just slipped out. "Then I can't wait to see how Lloyd will do."

Dareth himself laughed, encouraging others to do the same. Once it died down, his expression turned sober, and he asked, "Now, I don't mean to sound rude, but can you tell me what a young Fire Elemental like yourself is doing scoring a fifteen?"

"I may have . . . burned something down."

"Could it have anything to do with genetics? I think I can remember your father scoring quite well ten years ago, too."

His blood ran cold. Dareth knew, and now all the other competitors did, too. His secret was out, which meant one thing: there was no turning back now. "Yeah, he did. Not that he made it very far."

"And how about you, Kai? Do you think you're going to make it?"

"I'm going to try to win. I need to do it for my sister, Nya. She's the only family I have left."

The audience cheered and clapped, their previous outrage at Cole's shocking reveal long-gone. Kai looked over them, taking in their appearances. His eyes landed on one figure, and he felt his heart stop. Seated in a balcony above what looked to be a camera was the Tournament Master himself, Chen. He thought back to Cole's outburst, remembering how he looked at something above the camera while shouting about the volcano. And then, it dawned on him: Cole hadn't been shouting at nothing—he'd been shouting at  _Chen_.

"Can you tell me about your costume for the Opening Ceremonies? How did it work?"

"There's a very . . .  _powerful_ aspect to the fire element that not a whole lot of people know about," he replied. "I can't be hurt by my own fire. So, my stylist, Lou, made sure what I was wearing underneath was fireproof. And then I just set myself on fire, I guess."

"And what are the chances the same thing could happen again now?"

A smile fell on Kai's face. He'd been waiting to see what Lou had planned for him, and now was his chance to experience it. "Would you like to see?"

Dareth nodded, and Kai stood, stepping forward so he was downstage. He took a deep breath, preparing himself for the consequences that would come of this, and then flicked his wrist, creating a small flame in his hand. The audience gasped, motivating him to press his hand to his stomach and let the suit catch fire.

As soon as he did, a headache split his head in two. He winced, rubbing his temples to try and make it stop. Why did this have to happen now?

_Spin._

He blinked. That voice didn't belong to him. But then it went again, repeating the same word over and over again:  _spin, spin, spin, spin, spin, spin, spin, spin, spin._

It wasn't his voice, he realized, but Lou's. And he was telling him to spin.

And so, he did as he was told. Putting his weight of the ball of his left foot, he found his balance and then pushed off with his right, going so fast his surroundings blurred. He looked down, where he saw that fire had consumed his legs, burning white hot like never before.

Soon, he was engulfed in a cyclone of fire. It was beautiful, and he felt at his best for the first time in years, but he knew it had to end when he could hear shouting coming from the other side of the flames. He planted his right foot firmly on the ground, using it to anchor himself so he wouldn't go out of control. The fire stopped immediately, disappearing into the air and leaving no trace of its existence.

But it had happened. He could see it in the disbelief on everyone's faces.

Kai looked down on himself. His golden suit was gone, burned away to become something new and red. It looked like a thief or assassin's outfit, but red, with loose pants and sleeves that became tight at his ankles and wrists thanks to a type of bandage. It was beautiful, and comfortable, and he knew just what it was.

" _Absolutely amazing!"_ Dareth exclaimed, arriving at Kai's side. He looked at him up and down, his grin growing ever bigger. "Look at you! You've turned into some sort of warrior, or assassin, or—"

"A ninja."

The audience went into a standing ovation, and Kai look up at Chen, locking eyes with him.

And he bowed.

* * *

Kai was brought to another room near the stage, but this one was more of a common room, filled with the other competitors who had finished their interviews. Televisions were mounted all over the walls, there were couches, a bar filled with snacks and beverages, and every competitor watching him as he stepped in.

No one said a word. He glanced around the room until he spotted Cole and Jay, the two sharing one of the couches where it looked like Jay was talking to Cole excitedly about something. He made his way over to them, praying silently that he wouldn't be interrupting something important. Cole was smiling and laughing, a sharp contrast to how he'd been earlier. He supposed that, sometimes, all anyone needed was a dose of Jay Walker.

Hopefully Cole wouldn't hate him after what he'd done with the blocker.

Upon seeing him arrive, Jay jumped out of his seat, the biggest look of wonder on his face. He grabbed Kai's shoulders, practically hopping up and down on the spot. "I can't believe it! You just did  _Spinjitzu!_  And you're dressed up as a  _ninja!_  This is  _perfect!_ "

"Jay, calm down and give him some space," Cole said, standing up beside Jay.

Jay laughed, then replied in a joking tone, "Shut up!"

Kai almost gagged. "Do you guys want me to leave? Because I can leave if you want me to."

"No, stay!" Jay said. "I need to talk to you about Spinjitzu. How'd you do it?"

"Uh," he began, searching for a reason. "It just kind of happened. Already being on fire probably helped."

Jay frowned. "You don't have any clue at all? No guidance?"

"Nope, sorry."

Cole opened his mouth to speak, but music interrupted him. Kai looked up at one of the screens and felt his heart flutter in awe.

It was Skylor. Her red hair had been let out of its usual ponytail, falling in curls down her back. The dress she wore was short and playful, the orange bringing out the green in her eyes. It was breathtaking, seeing how much someone could change in a mere few hours.

And she did exactly what she promised Kai she'd do. She was brutally honest with Dareth, sugar-coating nothing. Yet, despite all of her honesty, nothing could make her budge on the topic of her powers and just  _what_ she had done to earn a score of sixteen. Had Garmadon gotten through with her, or was this of her own accord? She didn't strike him as the kind of person to listen to anybody.

One thing she did reveal was that her father had been a Breeder, not her mother. It was easy to see that while male Breeders existed—Lou was evidence of this—females were far more common, most likely to do with the fact that they were paid more. She admitted that she'd never had to work for much, even after her mother passed away a few years ago. Despite never living with them, their father still sent in money, and they wrote letters back and forth to each other. There was something about his job that kept him away and stuck in Ninjago City.

Kai found himself smiling. Skylor just had that affect on him.

Lloyd would be on next. The screens cut to commercials, and every competitor in the room turned toward the door, waiting for Skylor's arrival. When she appeared in the doorway, Kai looked over to her, catching her eye. He was met with an icy glare, stopping him dead in his tracks. With a scowl on her face, she tore an elastic free from her wrist, pulled back her hair, and tied it. He almost couldn't believe that she'd snuck it with her.

She strode over to him, but not for the reasons he'd hoped. Upon reaching him, she snatched his wrists and held them up in front of her face, then demanded, "Where are your element-blockers?"

"Gone," he said. "I needed them for the ninja act."

She grunted. "That was a  _terrible_ idea," she told him, and then looked at Cole, who had been watching the display with Jay. "Same goes for you, too. Do you really think they're going to make it easy for you to survive now?"

"I'm pretty sure making it difficult to survive is their purpose in the first place," Cole said. "I did what I did so dying  _wouldn't_ be a problem for me."

"So that's what that was? Trying to leave your mark on the world?" she asked. "Why would you put so many people in jeopardy for your own self-satisfaction?"

"Jeopardy? I'm trying to  _help_ people!"

"Information can help people, but it can break them, too. The more people you tell, the more people you recruit for your little uprising, the closer we are to another Ice Rebellion. And, quite frankly, I don't want to live to see one."

Cole said something back, but Kai could barely hear him. He was too busy watching him, trying to figure him out. What did he have to gain by telling everyone about the poison in the Fire Village? How did Ninjago or the Elementals benefit? Skylor certainly didn't think they did.

But if Cole was revealing the information to support the rebellion, that would mean he was in it, or at the very least supported it. The rebellion had spread to the Earth Village, too. Lightning, Earth, and Skylor had at least  _heard_ about it. How many other Villages were fighting back? How many of them were kept in the dark, or doing nothing?

Skylor was right—this  _was_  turning into another Ice Rebellion. If they didn't stop it, how many people would die? What Village would be the first to go?

Cole was in the rebellion. Jay had the information he needed to inspire others to join. Jay  _must_ have told Cole about the poison, which was why he'd gone to see Toxikita after Jay was nearly killed. After all, if he or Jay died, the secrets died with them. It was almost beautiful.

Skylor and Cole were in the middle of a heated argument when music interrupted them. They looked at each other, glared, and then turned their attention to the screens. Everyone was anxious for Lloyd's interview, it would seem.

When Lloyd came into view, the audience cooed. Kai looked around, seeing that even Skylor's eyes had softened at the sight of Lloyd in a small, green tuxedo. His stylists knew what they were doing, making him look as adorable as possible. Sympathy and love was a difficult road to take in terms of sponsors, though being a child made it easier to accomplish.

Lloyd rocked back and forth on his feet as Dareth introduced him, fingers toying with the end of his jacket. Gosh, he looked scared. Kai just hoped he wouldn't explode on stage.

They sat down, and Dareth began to work his magic. "You know, Lloyd, we were  _all_ shocked to find out that one of last year's victors had a child. Do you think winning could become a family tradition?"

"I—I think," Lloyd stammered. "I may be small, but I have a lot of power."

"I assume this power runs in the family? Both your father and Wu possessed great power, did they not?"

Lloyd winced at the mention of his father and Wu. "Yeah, they do."

"And do you think you can compare to them? Your grandfather, even?"

He shook his head. "I still have a lot to learn, but I'm sure I can measure up to the other competitors. I didn't get a seventeen for nothing."

Kai could only imagine all of the broken dummies and nindroids that came a result of his evaluation. How many things did he have to destroy to earn that score? It couldn't have been hard, seeing how Jay turned out. And that was an  _accident_. He could only imagine how powerful Lloyd would be if he was doing it on  _purpose_.

"Now, Lloyd, there's something serious I need to ask you," Dareth said, voice dropping. "You loved your uncle very much, did you not?"

Lloyd's eyes snapped shut at the question. His fists clenched at his sides, and Kai could see that something was wrong.  _Terribly_ wrong. "I did."

 _Did._ "I know your father took his death very hard, as we all did. But what about you, Lloyd? It's only been two years—a very short time for someone your age to recover."

"I . . . miss him a lot," he said. "My mom and dad weren't around all that much, but he was always there for me. But now he's gone, and I'm all alone. Well, I thought I was. I kind of got close to Kai, but I'm afraid that he hates me now."

"Why would he hate you?"

"Because I did something bad."

At his words, Kai found himself covering his mouth in horror. All of those things he'd said to Garmadon . . . why had no one told him? They're talking like it's old news, so did Garmadon just assume he'd known? Guilt swelled in his stomach at the thought, knowing well that there was no one to blame but himself. And yet, despite this, Garmadon never seemed upset with him over the matter. Why not?

But, more importantly, how did Wu die?

Jay looked even worse than he did. His eyes were wide, and his hands clamped together in front of him. " _Please_  tell me he isn't going to confess," he said. "I  _covered_ for him. He does understand what that is, right?"

It was only then that Kai noticed Jay was looking directly at him. He was just everyone's go-to person for issues regarding Lloyd, wasn't he?

He shrugged, and Lloyd began speaking again. But didn't admit to anything, just saying sorry for what he did. Even then, Kai was still struggling to forgive him. He didn't deserve to be hurt for it, but Cole had been right about being disadvantaged because of him. It was going to take a lot to trust him again. Speaking of trust, he still had no idea if Jay would let him stay in the alliance. He wanted to assume he would because of the way he lied for him, but there could have been ulterior motives. Jay was a great liar, and keeping Lloyd near him could just be another trick.

At the end of the interview, the sound of applause filled the room. They had liked Lloyd.

The screens went dark, and Kai got shoved to the side as someone headed for the door. He saw Cole, taking long, heavy strides toward the door Lloyd would soon enter. Jay ran to stand beside Kai, casting him a look that asked,  _what is he doing?_

Ignoring Jay, Kai rushed forward, intent on catching up to Cole. It hurt his right side to move at anything above a walking speed, but he pressed on, knowing that he was the only one that could stop him. Jay was too hurt, Lloyd wouldn't dare to defend himself after what had happened, and Kai was the only that knew of Cole's intentions. If he were lucky, Cole wouldn't blind Lloyd, and was only going to yell at him. Maybe a punch in the face was well-deserved.

The two guards escorting Lloyd didn't last very long. The moment they stepped through the doorframe, Toxikita was on them like a hound, delivering two swift blows to their skulls that sent them crashing to the floor, unconscious. With the guards down, Lloyd was left completely at Cole's mercy, who picked him up and threw him against the nearest wall. Lloyd landed with a thud, but Cole was there before he could try to run, lifting him off the ground and pinning him to the wall by pushing against his neck with his forearm.

"Why would you do that?" Cole demanded. "Why would you attack us like that?"

"I didn't mean to!" Lloyd cried, clawing at Cole's forearm but doing no damage.

Cole ignored Lloyd's efforts, even as he began to cry, shaking in his grip. "I made a promise that I wouldn't do what I originally planned to, but I think I found a good replacement."

Cole brought back his other arm, ready for what looked like would be a devastating punch. Kai moved to stop him, but Jay showed up before him, launching himself at Cole. He grabbed onto the raised arm, trying to pull it down, but to no success. He cried for him to stop, voice growing desperate as Cole seemed to ignore him. But then Cole stopped ignoring him, and the effect made Kai take a few steps back in horror.

Jay, noticing Cole's stillness, let go and took a hesitant step back, saying his name again. Not even bothering to look, Cole swung his free arm around, striking Jay in the face and sending him flying backwards.

The room fell silent as Jay collided with the floor, sent many feet back by Cole's raw strength. Once he finally stopped rolling, he didn't budge, facedown on the floor. His chest rose up and down with his labored breathing, but that was all to be seen from him. As Cole dropped Lloyd and turned to face them, realizing what he'd just done, Kai hurried over to Jay, rolling him onto his back. He was bleeding, the left side of his face already beginning to swell.

"He's okay," Kai called out, since it seemed like everyone in the room was watching him. "Just knocked out."

And then, it was just like a few hours ago. He heard a scream as many guards stormed the premises, locating Kai, Cole, and Lloyd, apparently already able to distinguish them as the cause of what had happened. But this time Cole didn't fight as they overtook them, looking as though he was already crying, so Kai took it upon himself to do it for the three of them. He rolled backwards as they approached him, landing on his feet and then making a quick dash for the door.

He slammed straight into an armored chest and staggered back, trying to regain his balance. But a few seconds was all they needed, and he felt the familiar prick of a needle injecting itself into his neck. He fought, kicking and thrashing about, but the sleeping meds worked their way into his system quickly and he was soon out cold.

* * *

***

He awoke with blockers on his wrists.

It wasn't hard to feel their added weight on his arms, even if he was laying down on a mattress, sheets and a comforter resting over him comfortably. The sleeping meds still bore weight on his mind and body, so he moved slowly, only one thing at a time. First, his fingers and toes. Second, his hands and feet. He worked his way up to moving his limbs, rolling his neck, and crunching in his torso. He didn't need a repeat of last time.

Once he felt his body was his again, he kicked off the covers and sat up, feeling a rush of blood in his head that threatened to make him pass out again. He turned his head, looking at the clock: 11:48 PM. Just enough time to escape up to the rooftop and get the fresh air he needed. Maybe he would even run into Skylor.

As he moved across the floor, he noticed that they'd replaced his clothes with pajamas. Well, at least they'd been considerate enough to not make him sleep in a suit and tie. 

Remembering how much they'd helped him last time, Kai slipped on a pair of socks before leaving his room. He slid his way across the wooden floors, going one long stride at a time until he reached the elevator. He hailed it at the press of a button, then stepped inside when it reached his floor. As it rose, he realized that he was going to miss these things. It was one of the little things, but just knowing that tomorrow would be his last day to ever ride in one was slightly disheartening. He would miss all of the water and food, too.

The door to the rooftop creaked open. He took a few steps forward, then let it slam shut behind him, the noise echoing throughout the platform. If there was anyone there, they would have heard him by now.

No one came to greet him, but he could hear the occasional buzz of electricity coming from the other end of the garden. He stood still, listening intently, and then heard it again. A circuit must have been busted, though he followed the noise anyway, searching for the source.

He rounded the corner, freezing at what he saw. It wasn't a broken circuit, but Jay holding a shard of glass in his right palm. He wore no blockers, and would zap the shard with his lightning, making it disappear. It would reappear a few seconds later, cutting into the skin of his palm. He must have done it many times, because his entire hand was covered in blood.

Watching it closely, Kai realized that it wasn't an ordinary shard of glass—it was a shard from the  _force field_. Deciding he'd seen enough, Kai marched toward Jay, snatching the shard from his hand and chucking it over the edge of the rooftop. He then turned on him, asking, "What are you doing?"

"I  _was_ testing something out," Jay replied, but didn't look up from his hand. He hadn't even flinched when Kai took the glass. "Did you see how it disappeared when I put an electrical pulse through it? It's like it was designed to transform into pure, electrical energy when presented with lightning. Cool, huh?"

"Your hand," Kai pointed out, not needing to say anymore. Jay would get it.

"Collateral damage," he said. "Hey, do you think I could ask you something?"

Kai hesitated. "Uh, sure."

Jay finally looked up at him. "Why would Cole do that?"

He took a deep breath. "When I met up with him after the accident, he wanted to blind the kid. He was hurt, afraid. I guess he just kind of exploded on him, and he didn't even see it was you when he hit you. Fear does that to people."

Jay laughed softly. "Looks like he and Lloyd have something in common."

"I suppose they do," Kai said, shrugging. "My turn to ask you something now, okay?"

"Go ahead, I don't have anything to hide from you."

"Okay, good. Are you going to let Lloyd—and Cole—stay in the alliance?"

Despite how upset he looked, Jay smiled. "I guess I finally got to see what Cole and Lloyd could do, so why not? I think we'd make a good team if, you know, we'd stop hurting each other."

Jay would never cease to surprise him with his ability to stay positive in almost any situation. "You're not mad at them? At all?"

Jay shrugged. "Lloyd was an accident, and getting hit was kind of my fault to begin with. I probably could have ducked, but no, I decided to play hero. As for Cole, it's just like you said, but I think I might give him the silent treatment tomorrow. Does that sound like a worthy punishment?"

"Personally, I would have broken up with him, but it's your choice."

"So, that's it, then? We keep the alliance together?" Jay said. "Do we shake on it?"

"I don't see why not," Kai said, holding out his right hand.

And so, they shook hands, Jay's blood seeping onto Kai's skin. He knew now that even though the Tournament was going to start in only so many hours, he would have allies and friends going in with him, too. Maybe he would stand a chance with them at his side.

For the first time in awhile, he  _chose_  to go to sleep when he returned, feeling the jaws of a good rest pull him under.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't often put in end notes, but I feel as though it's necessary so you guys have a grasp on what the Tournament will be like.
> 
> If you guys read the first author's note on chapter one, I state pretty clearly that it's mostly just giving a Hunger Games feel to the fourth season. So, does this mean it'll just be following the plot and structure of season four? Yes and no.
> 
> It's a mélange of the two. In fact, the only reason this fic exists is because I thought 'hey, what if this was like The Hunger Games?' when watching the original season. Some things will change, but some will remain the same. However, you can still expect some major plot twists and a lot of things to happen that didn't in the original season! I put a lot of work into trying to make it unique, and I look forward to sharing it! :D


	8. Launch Day

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A hint at the actual plot of the story? The beginning of the Tournament? This story has come so far, guys! I'm so excited to finally get into it! It's been like, what, around 8 months? I've never stuck around with a fic so long!
> 
> So, without further ado, I'm proud to bring you the beginning of what you've all been waiting for! The Tournament of Elements!
> 
> (Seriously though, thanks for sticking around and waiting patiently for each chapter. Updates should be quicker once the actual action begins, since that's a little easier to write than all this drama, haha).
> 
> Also, fun fact: all of Karlof's dialogue is created by translating French to English using Google Translate, which explains the way it just doesn't seem right. It's like that on purpose, trust me.

He was hesitant to say goodbye.

It had only been around a week, sure, but he was going to miss them. Patty, who kept him organized and on time when he honestly would have been a mess on his own, and Lou, who was dedicated to making him look better than he actually was. Now, he was leaving them behind, to either die or meet them again as a killer. Hopefully, it wouldn't be the former.

They, along with the other competitors, their stylists, and their escorts, gathered in small groups on a large dock. A large boat waited for them to board, but no one moved, almost like they were too afraid to move on.

Kai knew he was. Today was the day.

The day there was no turning back.

"I know this may feel like goodbye," Lou began, "but if you make it to the final eight, I  _will_ see you again."

A whistle blew nearby. They wanted them to get going. "I'll try," Kai said with a curt nod. What else  _could_ he do?

Without warning, he was swallowed up in a hug. Feeling Patty's soft sweater against his bare arms, he finally hugged her back, wrapping his arms around her and giving her a little squeeze. She released first, resting her hands on his shoulders. "Although I never met your mother, I can promise you that your parents would be  _so, so_ proud of you."

He'd almost forgotten that Patty must have gotten to know his father all those years ago. "Do you really think so?"

She smiled. "Of course I do," she said, letting go and taking a step back. "I'm getting a little old to be an escort, so make sure to win for my last time, all right?"

"All right," he replied. He wouldn't make any promises since there was already a target painted on his back, but he knew he wouldn't go down without a fight. If Chen was trying to make this a family affair, he would show him just what a terrible mistake it was.

This time a siren, followed by another whistle. Looking around, Kai saw that the other competitors were slowly beginning to drift towards the boat, their goodbyes apparently over.

But Kai still had one more thing to ask. The question had been bugging him all night, and he knew he couldn't wait until the final eight challenge to talk to Lou about it.

So, before he turned to walk away, he asked, "Lou, how did the costume work last night?"

"I suppose telling you it was magic would never work, but I can't really explain it otherwise," Lou said. "Your suit was created with using Form, Mind, and Fire in mind. I spoke to Garmadon quite a lot about it, and he told me that there was a way one could capture and concentrate certain Elemental abilities into a solid object. The Mind and Form elements were  _sewn_ into your suit, designed to activate once they caught fire. The Mind delivered my voice in your head, telling you to spin, and the Form turned your suit into something anew. All that was needed to make it perfect was a little Spinjitzu, which you accomplished without a hitch. But there is something I must warn you of, Kai. Do  _not_ let this knowledge spread around."

"Why not? What would happen?"

"Because in order for it to work, something terrible must happen," Lou told him. "Something I do not believe you want to happen to the rest of your people."

It was enough to keep his mouth shut. "Okay, I will."

But he still couldn't ignore that in order to make his suit, this terrible thing was done to two Elementals. Were they killed, or was it something more? Something worse? He didn't bring it up out of fear of the answer. Lou cared. He wouldn't let two Elementals die for something like an interview, right?

So he put on a smile, said his final goodbyes, and boarded the boat. If he lived to see the final eight challenge, or to the end of the Tournament, he would ask Lou. But now wasn't the time—he needed to focus on surviving, and how he would do so. Sure, Jay may have decided to keep the alliance together, but there was no doubting the inevitable tension. It was strange, not feeling safe around those he was supposed to trust. How long would it be before they all turned on each other?

He frowned, mentally scolding himself. He'd seen how Cole and Lloyd had reacted after hurting Jay. Although he'd only caught a glimpse of Cole, it was easy to tell that they'd both been devastated. If anyone was going to be more tolerable, it would be the two of them. But, then again, Lloyd couldn't control his powers. He was a wildcard.

The boat had two floors. One was the deck, where all the controls and such were, and below was more of a common area, fitted with couches, food and drink, and televisions. When Kai bothered to actually check it out, the TVs were just playing a rerun of the interviews from yesterday, already onto Griffin's interview. He would have to check in in around an hour to catch his own, especially if he wanted to see what the Spinjitzu looked like from the outside. If it looked anywhere as good as it felt, he was sure it would be beautiful.

Surprisingly enough, the downstairs area was empty, so he stuck around there. He'd barley gotten any sleep last night, and wasn't in the mood to socialize. Other competitors were bound to eventually make their way down there, but he would cherish every alone moment he had. It was a two-hour trip to the Tournament's location—presumably an island of some sort—and if avoiding everyone was what it took to survive the trip, that was what he would do.

The interviews had already made their way to Chamille, the incredible shape shifter. In a way, she was his greatest enemy. The Form competitors didn't always score the highest, but everyone knew they had the most winners. Trained to kill, and not only that. They were trained to attack the mind, shape shifting over and over again into those their victim loved until there wasn't much of a fight left.

The strongest Form competitors could transform themselves into the person their victim loved most, even without seeing them beforehand. Now that he thought about it, maybe his father wasn't the worst case scenario. If she was good enough, she could always turn into Nya.

He didn't want to know where that would go.

There was the sound of footsteps pounding down the stairs, and he twisted in his seat, looking over his shoulder to see who it was. At the sight, he almost laughed. He should have guessed that Zane would be the second person to come down here.

Kai faced the TV again, playing with the cap on a plastic water bottle he'd found. "You're not a very social person, are you?"

"I don't believe that you're in a position to talk," Zane replied with a level voice. "You've been here the entire time, haven't you?"

"Maybe I have. I just don't feel like talking to people that are going to try to kill me tonight," he said.

There was a moment of silence as Zane sat down on the couch beside him. "Why don't we change that?"

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Zane held out his hand. "I don't want to be your ally, Kai. But we don't need allies to make a truce. If I promise not to kill you, will you promise not to kill me?"

Kai promised in a heartbeat, shaking Zane's hand. Why wouldn't he? Zane was an Ice Elemental. Trying to fight him using fire would be impossible. Having one less person to worry about wouldn't make his life any harder, too. 

Zane eventually eased up, and so did Kai. There wasn't room to distrust each other, especially with the odds they were facing. There was barely even a chance they would fight each other in the first place.

And then, it was Cole's interview. Kai hadn't paid much attention to the beginning of Cole's interview, where he talked about his life, but this time he listened. Like Zane, Cole didn't reveal much about himself. Just the basics, like how he'd never known his father and barely his mother. Everything clicked then, where all that passion and strength came from. No one grew up in the Earth Village with no family and lived to tell the tale.

There were rumors about the Earth Village in the Fire Village. Rumors about places children would go to to feed themselves. Rumors about places where they would die.

There was probably a good reason Cole was such a good fighter.

And then Cole went on his tantrum in the interview, spitting out truths and shouting at Chen for poisoning the Fire Village. It made Kai wonder why Cole had chosen the Fire Village in particular. 

"I saw what happened last night," Zane said out of the blue. "With Lloyd and Cole and Jay."

"What about it?"

"Well, ever since Jay got hurt . . . you're all anyone can talk about, really," he said. "And after seeing what Cole could do, I think the others are as scared of you as they are of the Packers."

Kai raised an eyebrow. "The  _Packers_? Who?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's a name those outside the Elemental Villages use to describe those in the alliance formed by Shadow, Form, Smoke, and Poison. The name is a reference to wolves, or other pack animals, because they stay and hunt together. I've always found it quite suiting."

Going into the Tournament, he hadn't wanted to be feared. He'd only wanted to survive. How was he supposed to do that if everyone thought of himself and those he'd allied with were threats? No wonder the  _Packers_  wanted them dead—they were too dangerous to be left alive. "And what do you think?" Kai asked. "Do  _you_ think we're that scary?"

"Not really," Zane said. "I don't have a reason to. I don't plan on fighting or killing anyone."

"What? Why not?"

And there it was: a hesitation before he spoke. He was going to lie. "I don't believe we should be killing each other," he said. "Something along the line of what your father believed."

"My father died so Wu could live, for whatever reason," Kai said. "No one refuses to kill in the Tournament of Elements for no reason. Spill it."

"I'm sorry, but as long as there are cameras on this ship, I won't be 'spilling' anything. This is all I can tell you."

Kai didn't press the issue further. Everyone had secrets. As long as Zane wouldn't be killing him over them, he couldn't care less about what he had to hide.

He'd missed Shade's interview while he was getting ready, so he was happy to finally get to see it. Shade wasn't as hostile as Kai expected him to be, but rather . . . dour. He was serious, ruthless, and presented his abilities to the audience by simply disappearing from his chair at the end of his interview.

Kai's jaw clenched. Great. He could disappear, too. How was he supposed to win against an opponent that could attack from any side, at any time? It was practically impossible.

A pit formed in his stomach at the sight of himself entering the stage. He looked about as nervous as Dareth had said he did, but not nearly as bad as Lloyd had looked during his interview. He was proud of the way that aside from the initial anxiety, he appeared collected, even when Dareth mentioned his father.

And then it was the Spinjitzu, as Jay called it. It was beautiful, like a tornado of flames engulfing him. But as soon as it had begun, it ended, dissipating into the air. If he had any spare time during the Tournament, he would have to practice some more. It could be useful for defense against competitors like Shade and Ash, whose attacks he would never be able to stand against. Whether he knew it or not, Lou had just given him a life-saving technique. For that, he was grateful.

It was midway through Skylor's interview that he decided to say good-bye to Zane and make his way upstairs, up to the deck of the ship. He wanted to check in with his allies. Well, two of them. He didn't know if he could face Lloyd yet. Not after everything that had happened.

A flash of blue at the other end of the boat caught his attention, and he started making his way towards it. If there was an ally he he wouldn't mind talking to at the moment, it was Jay. At least that way he was guaranteed a safe, sane conversation.

But that conversation was something he would never have. On the other side of the deck, visible through a space between the two superstructures jutting out of the floorboards, was Skylor. She was mid-argument with Karlof, looking like they were about to break out into a fight  _very_ soon.

Karlof shoved Skylor, and she slammed into the railing of the ship. Suddenly, Kai himself was jogging over there, putting himself between the two. Not looking back at Skylor, his gaze locked with Karlof's and he stared.

There Karlof stood, a metallic giant in his wake. He looked ready to fight, to kill even. Where were the Tournament Guard? Had they left them alone on this boat? Were they that stupid?

No, they weren't stupid at all. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see a black orb protruding from one of the white superstructures. A camera.

They were watching them, most likely waiting until something deadly happened before they would intervene. The ride there was usually televised, wasn't it? The three of them must have been the center of attention, with the way this was going. What would happen if they actually got into a full-scale fight? Elements were dangerous, but Kai seriously doubted he could do much damage to a metal ship in the middle of an expanse of ocean. Karlof, on the other hand, could destroy everything in his path.

"Get out of the way," Karlof demanded, but Kai didn't budge. He didn't know what Skylor had done to earn a score of sixteen, but he didn't trust her to fight him on her own. Not when Karlof was so much bigger than both of them.

"What are you doing?" Skylor hissed into his ear. If this was being broadcasted, it certainly made her look weak. He had a feeling she wasn't aiming for that angle like Neuro was.

Yet Kai was still, acting as a barrier between the two. "Back off, Karlof. We're not supposed to fight yet."

"Do you not understand, fire boy? There are seventeen of us. One of us must die to even the matches, right? How do you think they will do that?"

Although it was a little hard to understand what he was saying through his thick accent, Kai was able to make out the gist of it. But it was Skylor who answered. "What, do you think one of us is supposed to die on this boat before we get there? I'm pretty sure they would have told us about something like that."

"Do you know what they do with people with good scores like you?" Karlof asked. "They kill you. And why? Because you are a threat. It's better to have you dead than alive. So why not now? Why not allow Karlof to do it?"

"Because  _Karlof_ isn't supposed to be killing people right now," Skylor spat. "You want to fight? Fine, but you initiated."

But Skylor and Karlof's threats didn't matter, because once Skylor herself stepped into a fighting position, fists up to protect her face, an authoritative voiced boomed all over the ship's speakers, "We will be arriving in under five minutes. Prepare for docking."

The trip had gone by too fast for his liking, but he was also anxious to see where the Tournament would take place. His best guess at this point would be some sort of deserted island, and he shuddered at the thought. He didn't know a thing about about the wild, let alone surviving in it.  _This is what allies are for_ , he reminded himself. He could count on them to help him make it through the rougher parts of the Tournament. If he survived that long.

He worked his way to the bow of the ship, Skylor right on his heels, abandoning her quarrel with Karlof altogether. He gripped onto the railing, peering out into the sea, trying to see land. On his right, Skylor gave his hand a light squeeze. He didn't push her away—he was nervous, too. He didn't know if he could trust her, but in a way, having someone there helped. He almost felt sorry for her, knowing she was going into this alone.

If there was an appropriate time to ask her for an alliance, it was now. But as he opened his mouth to speak, the fog over the water began to clear and the island came into view, forcing the words back down into his throat. It would have to wait.

Through the mist, Kai could see what looked to be a fortress, maybe even a palace. It was gorgeous, fit for a king, even. At least if he was going to die, it was going to be somewhere beautiful.

The ship slowed to a stop in front of a large dock, where a long red carpet led up into an arched entrance closed off by two large, wooden doors. Tournament Guard lined either side of the carpet, spears in hand. They wouldn't want anyone taking off on them, of course. Now would be the prime time to do it. How would they find someone hiding in the jungle? It would take them days, maybe even a week before the competitor was found, if they were even still alive. Then would come the entire process of finding a replacement, something that had only happened once before in Tournament history. The competitor had stolen a knife from the dinner table and stabbed themselves with it before bed, bleeding out slowly during the night. When their escort had found them the next morning, the white bed sheets were drenched with blood. The escort had retired that year, apparently.

Since then, they'd gotten a little tighter with the rules. Kai hadn't tried anything, but he was sure that he wouldn't have gotten away with smuggling a knife from the dinner table. If any of the Kabuki had discovered his knife was missing after dinner, there would have been an outrage. But with the technology they had nowadays, a mere stab wound in his stomach wouldn't be enough to kill him. No, they had ways of fixing that. How else could they have healed Jay so quickly? All he'd had left after a few mere hours were a blind eye and some scars. Those injuries should have killed him.

A bridge was lowered onto the wooden panels of the dock, and each competitor walked down steadily, some looking hesitant to leave. Kai couldn't blame them. For some, much like himself, that ship was the last chapter of their normal lives. From now on, it was survival mode: hunt, or be hunted. Kill or be killed.

Skylor let go of his hand as they walked down, feet plunking down on the dock. Just in front of him was Jay, who looked to be in deep conversation with Lloyd. At least those two had resolved the tension between them. He could only wonder what the two of them had to talk about. With Cole out of the picture for the day, it was easiest to imagine that Jay was sharing some of his secrets that could be used as weapons during the competition. Kai still hadn't forgotten what Jay said about the hands.

The steps up to the doorway were long and staggered, making the walk up awkward. But they all eventually made it, and Kai couldn't help but feel reminded of the time he entered the preparation center for the Opening Ceremonies. Maybe he wouldn't fall on the ground because of a dragon wing this time.

Once all the competitors had gathered, the doors slowly opened, and the Tournament Guard along the sides were replaced with drummers. They beat against the skins of their drums with sticks, created a drum line that echoed throughout the small, walled-in area that led to a much larger building. There were a pair of doors similar to the last in their way, decorated all over with silver ornaments.

The doors opened inward, revealing a large, circular room. It was many stories tall, each wall and balcony painted a bright red. The floorboards were painted purple, aside from an orange carpet in the center of the room that portrayed an image of a snake. The guards led them around the carpet, telling them to sit down. Kai sat down in the semi-circle between Ash and Paleface, facing two banners and a large throne. On the throne sat Chen, watching each competitor with those hungry, deep-set eyes of his. Kai found Chen watching him more than once, so he directed his attention to the floor. The snake pattern was pretty enough.

The doors they entered slammed shut behind them, and Kai nearly jumped. Sudden, loud noises had never really suited well with him. Looking up, he saw that Chen had since risen from his chair, wearing expensive red and purple robes, matching the theme of the lobby. Chen smiled widely at them, opening his arms wide in a welcoming matter.

"Welcome, competitors, to the Tournament of Elements!" he declared. "Ten years after one of the most unforgettable Tournaments in history, and it's the moment we've all been waiting for! Do you think you can measure up?"

A few competitors nodded, but most stayed still, not daring to move in Chen's presence. This was the man who now held their lives in his hand. Any of them could be incinerated at the press of a button.

"However, before you're to be taken up to your rooms for the night, I must go over the traditional Tournament rules. There aren't many, so pay attention, because going against these rules  _will_  get you disqualified."

It didn't take long for Kai to understand that "disqualified" was just a code word for "executed". He listened carefully, going over every rule in his mind. Like Chen has said, there weren't many. There was no attacking each other between matches, they would all arrive on time to their scheduled matches, and would comply to whatever the Tournament Guard told them to do. Three, simple rules he could follow.

Chen then gestured to a rack on the wall, where the man with the ponytail stood. On the rack was a sword with a carved blade, looking like more of a decoration than a real weapon. It had a distinctive green tint to its blade, which the man held up for all to see.

"This is a Jadeblade," Chen said. "For one half of you, it represents life. For the other half, it represents death. During your matches, one competitor must find this blade and use it to strike down their opponent. Unless, of course, you find other means to do so. Don't be afraid to get creative!"

Off to the left of Chen, a gong went off, and the cymbal separated into two, revealing a scoreboard underneath. Each tile piece had a picture of a competitor on it, and every piece was connected through a series of lines, indicating who would be fighting who and when. Kai couldn't see it clearly from where he sat, so he just scowled and waited for Chen to move on. He'd have to check it later during his free time.

Chen clapped twice, and a door opened behind them, spilling out a line of Kabuki. They danced their way over to the competitors, falling in stride behind them. They all stopped at once, and Kai felt a hand grab his arm, yanking him up off the floor and to his feet. She pulled him along, following the direction of every competitor and Kabuki in front of him. A few competitors in front of him, he caught a glimpse of how uncomfortable Jay looked with the situation. The Kabuki weren't for everyone, it would seem.

Kai almost tripped on the first step, but was able to keep up for the rest of the staircase that rose to meet another level of the building. They paraded through the entire hallway before they reached another staircase, one he climbed with ease, staring down at the snake carpet. The halls were open, walls and rooms one side and a railing on the other, leaving a view of the interior of the building.

The Kabuki suddenly stopped, jerking his arm back when he tried to take another step forward. She then bowed, taking a step back. "This is your suite, Fire. You will be staying here during your time in the Tournament of Elements."

He pushed the doors open, revealing yet another red room, but this time a bedroom. Upon his first survey of the room, he saw a bed, a bathroom past a set of room dividers, and a sliding door that led to a balcony. No cameras, though a speaker was visible in a corner. At least he would have some privacy if he ever needed it.

He looked over his shoulder to say thank-you to the Kabuki, but she was gone. Oh well.

In hopes of seeing more of the island, he ventured out onto his balcony, but found nothing but a courtyard surrounded by more walls. Maybe one of his allies had a view of the jungle and could give insight on some of the matches that were to come. He would use any advantages he could get.

The sun began to set on the horizon, telling him that his room was facing west. If the palace stretched as far east as he thought it did, it only left the jungle to the north or south. He sighed, leaning against the railing. What was the point? Everything was just going to come as a surprise, anyway.

He heard a door slide open, and Skylor stepped out of the room on his left, striding up to the edge of the balcony and looking out like Kai had done.

"You're not going to find anything, you know."

Skylor turned to face him, a playful glint in her eye. "Do you really think they would make it that easy?"

Kai opened his mouth to say  _no_ , but Chen's voice blared from the speakers, silencing him.

" _I hope you're all enjoying your new rooms. Unfortunately, one of them will lie empty tonight. Will it be yours?"_

He exchanged a worried glance with Skylor, thinking back to Karlof. This had been what he was talking about, hadn't it? The fault in the numbers?

" _There are sixteen Jadeblades scattered around the palace. Can you find them all?"_

Skylor was staring at something above them, and Kai followed her gaze, his eyes landing on the green color of a Jadeblade.

Their eyes met, and they both knew one thing:

The Tournament of Elements had begun.


	9. Finder's Keepers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gets kind of gory around the end. But I didn’t put “graphic depictions of violence” in the description for nothing, so I hope you all know what you’re getting into. I promise that this is one of the worst chapter’s injury-wise, so it won’t always be this violent. 
> 
> Enjoy!

For a time, the only thing they could do was stare at each another. Fighting and cries could be heard from inside the building, meaning that the longer they waited, the fewer opportunities they had to move on. So how long would they stand there, baiting the other to make the first move? 

The sound of a bell snapped him out of his daze. The next balcony up was only a few feet—maybe a meter—above his own, and would be easy to reach if he jumped at a diagonal. He would have to zig-zag across the balconies to reach the Jadeblade, but that wasn’t the real problem. The real problem was standing right in front of him.

To get the lead, he would need to distract Skylor. Talking or using Spinjitzu wasn’t anywhere near an option, so he did the only thing he could think of: he shot a fireball at her.

To dodge the mass amount of flames, Skylor dove to the side and Kai seized the opportunity. He climbed onto the railing of his balcony and leaped for the next, just managing to get a hold on the railing. Once he hauled himself up, there were only two more balconies to go. He almost smiled. With Skylor behind, he could make it. All he had to do was keep moving.

Before he could pull himself up and over, a clammy hand grabbed his ankle. He looked down, only to see Skylor, her eyes narrowed and hair partially singed. Her hand smeared blood over his skin; she hadn’t dodged the fireball on time. But when he kicked and tried to break free, she yanked him down with incredible strength that could have only belonged to an Earth Elemental.

Suddenly he was falling, past her balcony and his own. He crashed down near the balcony beneath hers, bashing the bottom of his jaw on the top rail. It took the sudden decision to throw his arms up and grab hold of the edge to save him from inevitably shattering his bones on the courtyard’s cement beneath him. The force nearly ripped his arms from their sockets, but he held on, using what little strength he could muster to pull himself over the railing and fall onto his back.

From his position, he had a perfect view of Skylor as she grabbed the Jadeblade, waved it tauntingly at him, and then disappeared inside the closest suite. There went his only chance at survival.

His chin ached, and it took every ounce of self-control he had not to break down from the pain. He took in sharp breaths, every intake of air whistling as it passed through his gritted teeth. Inside, he knew he needed to move. The cameras were no doubt on him, waiting to pick up his reaction. But he couldn’t even twitch a finger. How was he supposed to make it through the Tournament if a fall was all it took to strip him of all motivation completely?

A bell chimed from the speaker above him. It chimed again, and again, and again until he’d counted at least eight chimes. They clearly meant something, but what?

Eight chimes. There wasn’t much to associate with the number eight, except maybe Jay’s score. Eight out of seventeen, not too shabby for someone who probably hadn’t fought much during his life. Eighth out of seventeen competitors. Seventeen competitors. Sixteen Jadeblades.

If he could have, he would have lifted his head and butted it against the ground out of pure frustration. The bells signified the number of Jadeblades found. If so, half of them had been discovered and returned to Chen. Which meant he still had a chance. As long as he could find one of the few left, he would move on.

Another bell chimed and he forced himself into a sitting position. He looked past the bannister, looking for anything green. If he were lucky, one would still be in his vicinity. All he had to do was find it.

And there it was, a blade of green in the center of the courtyard. Getting down there would be the real challenge, but at least there wouldn’t be any competitors to face. Who would think to go out into the courtyard to find a Jadeblade? It was too open, if they knew it existed at all. There was nowhere to hide it.

It was the perfect place. 

Carefully, however carefully, he climbed over the edge, holding onto it in a death grip. His fingers slipped until he was grasping it with only his fingertips, inching his feet further and further down as he went. If he let go, he would die. There was no doubt about it.

Down a few feet to his left was the second floor balcony. It was a short jump, but going down was a lot harder than going up. He couldn’t display his fear, knowing that his sponsors were undoubtedly watching. If he messed up or made a fool of himself, he could lose them. So he took a deep breath, bracing himself for the leap and what he knew would be a rough landing. And then he jumped.

He landed on the top rail, and he tumbled ungracefully forward but landed on the main part of the balcony on his feet. He looked down again, seeing that he only had two more jumps to make. One was to another balcony, and the other onto solid ground. If he could make the next one, he was in the clear.

And he was. He landed on the next balcony without a hitch, surveying the courtyard once he did. The Jadeblade was still in its spot, but to the right, just at one of the courtyard walls, was a man in black and silver clothes. He wore a helmet, presumably found within the palace, and their fists had been replaced with two huge, metallic ones.

He turned, facing the center, and Kai got a full view of just who he was. Standing there, in all his glory, was Karlof. And from what Kai could see, he’d yet to discover the Jadeblade. Perfect.  

Rather than steadily climb down, he jumped from the final balcony to the ground, the landing jarring his ankles. But he didn’t give in to his pain, instead watching Karlof from the shadows, waiting for him to turn his back to the Jadeblade. He hadn’t seen Kai jump down, so once he turned around, Kai pushed off a cobblestone and began running as fast and quietly as he could toward the sword. _Please don’t see me, please don’t see me, please don’t see me._

Karlof saw him, whipping around to face the source of the sudden running noise. Finally noticing Kai, he glanced in the direction of where he was running, catching sight of the Jadeblade for the first time. And then, much like Kai, he began to sprint.

The Jadeblade was just in front of him now. Karlof was to his right, but he could avoid fighting him completely as long as he didn’t slow down. The Metal competitor was bigger than him, probably slower, too. He kept going, reaching his hand down and grabbing the dull edge of the blade as he ran past. He didn’t stop once he had it in his grip, not even slowing down for a second. He was in the clear, he was going to move on, he was going to—

He’d underestimated Karlof’s speed. One of the heavy fists connected with his side and sent him skidding across the pavement, scraping his left cheek and arms. When he finally stopped, he landed on his back and held on just long enough to watch Karlof pick up the Jadeblade he had dropped a few meters back, hold it up proudly, and then walk towards the nearest exit, only looking back once to make sure Kai wasn’t following him.

Black crowded the edge of his vision, making every living second a struggle to not give in and pass out. It felt like he was wearing a blocker again. His cheek burned, and when he pulled a shaky hand out from under him to gently touch it, it stung and his fingers came back coated in blood. He could see his shirt and pants darkening where Karlof had hit him, most likely tearing the bandages and reopening the wounds.

The darkness swelled in his vision. He was going under—he could feel it. Yet he was okay with just laying there on his back, starting at the now-blurry clouds above him. There weren’t many clouds in the Fire Village, probably because it almost never rained. Maybe it would rain here. That would be nice. 

Five more bells chimed, their sounds far too loud and ringing across the courtyard. There were only three Jadeblades left. There was no doubt that the other three competitors were tearing the place apart, terrified of being the one left behind with no knowledge of how one of their fellow competitors was laying in the middle of a yard, doing nothing but staring at the sky.

A few minutes later and another bell rung. Three competitors. Two chances to survive.

He groaned.

It hurt more than he’d ever known, but he finally managed to shift onto his knees and stand. Karlof and Skylor may have managed to get the best of him, but it would only be the weakest players left. Beating them would be a cinch if he just stood to the side and launched fireballs. They were easy to make and completely deadly.

He managed to enter one of doors leading into the palace, walking into a small hallway. His left hand held his side, trying to stop the bleeding from becoming too excessive. The last thing he needed to do was pass out before he could find one of the swords.

The sound of a chiming bell made his heart pound. There was only one Jadeblade left for him to find. How was he supposed to beat the other competitor in this state? He could barely walk, let alone run if he needed to. But the thought of Nya at home watching him on the tiny TV in their house pushed him forward. He couldn’t die if she was still alive.

The hallways were like a maze. He would turn one corner only to be met with more corridors, more corners, and forever more options. Turning back would be pointless, so the only thing he could do was keep going forward. He leaned against the walls as he walked, using them to support his weight. The scrapes still stung, though they were slowly numbing as time went on. He couldn’t say the same for his jaw or side wounds, but he would have to push through it for now. _Be resilient,_ as his father had told him. _When one is met with a struggle, the only thing they can do is fight through it._

Ahead of him, he could see light leaking in from a perpendicular hallway. And then a shadow stepped into it, creating the shape of a man with two, large fists. Out of one of the fists came a jagged piece of work, much like the blade of a Jadeblade.

It was Karlof. He must have gotten lost in the halls, too. This was his chance to attack from behind, but what would he do? A fireball probably wouldn’t have too much effect—it did damage, sure, but not enough to stop a hulking giant in his tracks. Not when he must have finally reached the lobby to deliver the sword and secure his place in the Tournament.

Kai slowed down his pace, sneaking into the hallway. He nearly jumped when he saw that Karlof was just in front of him, his back turned and in arm’s reach. The other competitors were tense, and through the gaps in Karlof’s body and the open doorframe he could see them watching him expectantly in the main lobby. Time to give them the show they had all come here for.

He flicked his wrist and ignited his flames, approaching Karlof slowly. The Metal competitor was talking to them, proudly announcing his victory in an arrogant fashion. Kai needed an attack that would shut him up, maybe for good. Then and only then could he grab the Jadeblade and run to Chen.

 _Shut him up_. With the thought on his mind, he lunged forward and wrapped his still-burning hands around Karlof’s exposed throat.

The first thing he heard was scream. He could feel the skin transforming beneath his burning palms and fingers, becoming raw and bloody and everything he’d never wanted to touch at once. Karlof’s body began to lower to the ground and Kai let go, pulling his hands back to let the Metal competitor fall on his own. Karlof fell in a heap at his feet and Kai kneeled down next to him, flipping him onto his back so he could get at the Jadeblade trapped beneath him. Though he fought hard not to look, his eyes wandered toward the burn wound and he nearly screamed.

Karlof’s throat was charred black and gushing out a slimy, clear liquid that now covered his own hands. It was these very hands that reached down and grabbed the Jadeblade, wrenching it from Karlof’s death grip. With one final look, Kai determined that he was still alive. Probably. 

Finally turning to face the room, he saw that some of the competitors looked just as bad as he was sure he did. Many of them were wounded, exhausted, and looking downright terrible. A few of them, like the Packers, were mostly unscathed. They must have been smart enough to spread out and search on their own, or had dominated the other competitors. The main lobby must have been chaos either way.

There was a statue in the place where Chen’s throne had once sat, the other Jadeblades sticking out of it and creating a set of wings. It was almost beautiful, if he ignored the few dripping with blood.

Trying not to limp, he made his way through the crowd and stuck the sword in the empty spot, completing the right wing. Chen stood just off to the side, his scowl turning into a mirthful grin. He raised his arms, calling all attention to him and away from the scene the competitors had just witnessed.

“Congratulations to you all!” he exclaimed. Kai jumped down to the main floor, slipping in beside Bolobo and Gravis. They looked him up and down with pointed looks but said nothing. “Tonight, you may rest in peace knowing that you have survived the first night. Feel free to check your matches for the next few upcoming days and get something to eat at the dining hall. Everything here is for you.”

When Kai turned back around, he pushed through the crowd and toward Jay, Cole, and Lloyd, who were all standing at the back and near the doorway. They must have had a full view of what he had done to Karlof. He pushed aside the repent building in his conscience and approached them nonetheless. They wouldn’t care if he’d nearly killed—or killed, he had no idea—another competitor. Soon enough, they would all be guilty of it themselves. If they survived their matches in the first place.

But as he neared them, he realized that Karlof was gone. His body must have been taken away when they were all distracted by Chen. If he hadn’t died, they would probably off him before shipping his body back in a coffin to his Village. It was customary to do so.

Sometimes, there wasn’t anything to send back at all.

Suddenly, before he could reach his allies, he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around. It was two Tournament Guard, their faces painted to be identical. They looked a little younger than the others, maybe only a few years older than himself. They didn’t carry themselves like the other Tournament Guard, looking less strict and professional. But only ever so slightly.

“Come with us, please. Dr. Julien will see you now.”

And this time, he didn’t resist. He didn’t think he could have if he wanted to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHAHA WHAT A GARBAGE ENDING. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys liked the first part of the Tournament of Elements! This chapter wasn’t supposed to end where it did, but the rest of it is getting its own chapter because it takes a major turn in direction. Thanks for reading!


	10. The First Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh. Hi? Please don’t hate me for not updating for nearly a year. 
> 
> Anyways, here’s a new chapter. Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Kai looked away at the sight of his own blood. He'd seen enough of it for one day.

Dr. Julien was careful. He smeared transparent gel over Kai's wounds, relieving them of pain and then wrapping them in thick, white bandages. Kai's face had a wad of bandages taped onto it, and although he thought it was quite ugly when he looked in the small mirror across the room, he forced himself to not pay mind to it. Dr. Julien had said it could be removed the next morning, anyway.

"There, you're all done. I fixed up your recent injuries and gave you new bandages for your old ones," Dr. Julien said. "Do you still feel hurt anywhere?"

Kai shook his head. "No, I don't."

Dr. Julien smiled. "Good. Remember, your bandages can be removed tomorrow morning if you feel it's necessary, but I would recommend keeping them on until around midday. Medical science has gone far, but I can't perform miracles just yet."

Kai thanked him, and Dr. Julien hurried him out of the small infirmary after reminding him to eat something before bed. He'd feel better sooner if he wasn't hungry.

Aside from the occasional Kabuki or Tournament Guard, the halls were mostly empty. Dr. Julien's office was just down a corridor connecting to the main lobby, making it easy to find his way back. The dining hall would be somewhere around here, but he didn't care. Deciding to forego Dr. Julien's instructions, Kai soon found himself climbing up the two flights of stairs that led to the Fire Suite. He could eat the next morning. The only thing he wanted to do right now was sleep.

His room was hotter than the hallway outside. Maybe only a few degrees so, but it was noticeable. He wondered if Zane's room was similar, but kept cool instead of warm. His suite couldn't be the only one with a theme in its decorations.

Inside his room, he crashed on his bed, laying on his left side so he wouldn't disturb anything Dr. Julien had done. Staring out the window, he watched as the sun disappeared behind the horizon, taking the colors of the sky with it. The day was finally over.

His room was now shrouded in the darkness of nightfall, and he knew he ought to be sleeping soon. But he couldn't, unable to even close his eyes for more than a few seconds before they snapped open again. A heavy weight in his chest kept him awake.

There was no clock in his room, but he knew hours had passed before one of his doors opened. He sat up in bed at the noise, turning to face whoever was trying to sneak into his room. They were hard to see in the dark. Kai squinted, but could only make out their vague shape. With a flick of his wrist, he sparked a flame in his left hand and held it out as far as he could towards the intruder.

"Cole?"

Cole dashed towards him, smacking his hand. "Put that out. If they find out I'm here, I'll get in trouble."

Kai didn't comply, but dimmed the flame. "I thought you said you didn't care about that. Or was that a lie, too?"

"Are you kidding me? I'm not a compulsive liar. Just do what I say for now, okay?"

"Okay, _leader_ ," Kai said. He closed his hand into a fist and the room plunged back into darkness. "What are you here for?"

"I . . . wanted to ask you how you were doing."

A million feelings and memories, yet two stood out from the rest. Karlof. The heavy feeling in his chest.

"Why do you want to know?" The safest answer.

Silence. Kai couldn't see Cole's eyes, but he could feel them judging him. Analyzing him. Trying to find answers Kai himself wouldn't vocalize for him.

Finally, Cole spoke. "Don't you feel guilty?"

The words came out before Kai could stop them. "I don't know. Yes. Maybe."

"Remember the Opening Ceremonies, when I was afraid of the dragons?" Cole said. "I want to help you like you helped me."

"I don't need your help. I'm fine."

"Then why weren't you asleep?"

"I've never been a good sleeper."

"What's wrong with you? I'm just trying to help," Cole said. His voice was an angry whisper. "I know you probably think I'm some monster for trying to hurt Lloyd, but you don't have to—"

"I don't think you're a monster."

It took a few moments for Cole to respond. "Wait, what?"

"I said that I don't think you're a monster."

". . . why not?"

It was hard to find the words. Back on the boat, before Kai had hurt anyone, he was sure he would have seen Cole's actions a little differently. But now, he understood. Lloyd had injured them before the _Tournament of Elements_. Nothing had really felt real back on that boat, back in Ninjago City, even if he knew he was about to enter a competition where he would most likely die. Now it felt real. He'd probably just killed someone with his bare hands. How could he blame Cole for going that extra mile and making sure they were even with Lloyd?

Kai could see Cole a little better now. It was still really hard to see him in the dark, but he could make out more details. Like his face, or the clothes he was wearing. He could also see the deep bags under his eyes. Had those been there all this time?

"Well, do you regret what you did?" Kai asked.

"Yes, I do. It's just—I couldn't stop myself. I was angry. And scared."

"If you regret what you did, I don't think you're a monster at all." Kai leaned back against the backboard of his bed. "See, I find the whole fear thing kind of weird. You don't seem like the kind of person who would be afraid of anything. Except for dragons."

Cole laughed quietly. "Those things are out of this world. They don't count."

"Okay, fine. Good point," Kai said. "But seriously. Why'd the whole deal with Lloyd scare you so much?"

Cole didn't respond at first. There was hesitation, like he was coming up with a lie. Or trying to bring himself to tell the truth.

"Do you want to know something, Kai?" Cole asked. "I was supposed to die four years ago. But I didn't. And now, I don't want to do anything but live. It screwed me up. I couldn't just . . . _not_ do something when Lloyd hurt us, because when he did, he made it a little harder to survive this. To keep on living."

"What are you talking about?"

"Something I'm not supposed to tell you. Something I'm not supposed to tell anyone," Cole said. He looked around the room, as though he were trying to find something in the darkness. "I need to go. Will you just listen to me, though? Let me _try_ to help you?"

Kai sighed. "I don't need your help, okay? I'm fine."

Cole ignored him and leaned in close, meeting Kai's eyes. Kai forced himself to resist the urge to look away. "Fine, don't cooperate. Just listen to me," Cole said. "You're going to think you're a murderer. But you're not. _You_ didn't kill Karlof—you were just the weapon used to do it."

Cole backed away a few steps, breaking their eye contact. Kai looked to the window, trying to swallow what he'd just heard. He thought he understood. Of course, he did. But did he believe it?

He heard the door close. He looked back to where Cole was once standing, finding nothing. Cole was gone.

He laid down in bed, pulling the covers over his body and staring at the door. Slowly, his eyelids grew heavier and he found himself settling in for rest.

The weight in his chest was still there. But it was lighter.

* * *

A loud alarm pulled Kai from his sleep. Opening his eyes a slit, he could see the early morning sun pouring in through a crack in the balcony doors. He shifted onto his elbow, stretching out his other arm before sitting up in bed. The alarm still hadn't stopped.

He was sore all over. He threw off the covers and stood up, ignoring his aching jaw as he took a few steps to the other end of his bed. Sitting on the corner was a fresh pile of clothes, and on top of them, a little black bowl with a note attached. He picked up the note, bringing it close to his eyes to read.

_You're going to be sore when you wake up. Take this with water or food. –Dr. Julien_

Inside was a small, orange pill. He put the bowl aside for the time being and took out the new clothes. He held up the shirt in front of him; bright red, with sleeves that cut off at the shoulders. He took off the shirt he'd been wearing overnight and put the new shirt on, noting that it fit comfortably. The material felt strange to him. It thick and soft, yet durable at the same time. Weird.

The pants were made of the same material. They were loose-fitting, but perfect for running around and fighting. Also bright red.

In contrast, the combat boots he found at the foot of the bed were black. They were also thick, made of stiff leather. He slipped those on as well before grabbing the pill and leaving his room to go downstairs. 

The dining hall was connected through a hallway to the main lobby, so finding it was easy. The room itself was huge, filled with more tables than the competitors would be using. Speakers were installed in the corners of the room, along with a few TVs along the walls. It was probably meant to be treated as a type of common room as well.

Having skipped dinner the previous night, Kai didn't know where to start. Jay and Cole were sitting at a table nearby, so he approached them instead of trying to figure anything out on his own. They looked like they were in the middle of a serious conversation, but Jay gladly pointed him to the counter where he'd get his food and offered him a place to sit at their table.

After picking up his food, Kai balanced the tray in his arms and surveyed the room once more. Jay and Cole were talking again, leaning over the table in hushed voices. They were nice, and wouldn't complain, but Kai didn't want to intrude. He was about to sit alone when he spotted Zane sitting by himself, far away from everyone in a corner.

So Kai sat there instead. Zane smiled at him when he sat down. "I'm surprised you chose to sit with me instead of your own allies. Shouldn't you be preparing?"

Kai shrugged. "They look like they're in the middle of a personal conversation. And there isn't much to prepare for right now. Everything from now until the final eight challenge is pretty individual, isn't it? There's not a whole lot of room for teamwork."

"I suppose that's true," Zane said. "Have you been down to the lobby to see who you'll be fighting during the opening rounds?"

He groaned. "No. Do you know who I'm fighting?"

Zane shook his head. "I have not looked yet. Do you want to go together?"

"Uh, sure. Just let me finish what I'm eating first."

Zane waited patiently as Kai ate as fast as he could. He popped the pill in his mouth in the middle of the meal, making sure not to chew it and swallow it whole. When he finished, they got up and made their way to the exit. On the way out, Kai looked back towards Jay and Cole. They were still talking, but Jay noticed Kai and gave him a small wave. Kai waved back and continued to follow Zane out of the dining hall.

It was only as they were walking that Kai noticed Zane's uniform was white, not red like his own. Were they all color-coordinated? He hadn't noticed back in the dining hall.

He knew something was wrong the moment Zane stopped dead in his tracks in front of the board. Kai stood next to him, looking it over. The slot next to Jay's was empty, marked with a red 'X'. He must have been scheduled to fight Karlof. Cole was set to fight Paleface—a fight Cole would probably win. Finally, Kai's eyes found his face on the board. His stomach sank.

His opponent was Ash, the Smoke competitor. Also one of the Packers.

How was he supposed to win? If Ash was anything like previous Smoke competitors, he could probably teleport all over the arena and turn intangible. Kai's greatest advantage were his long-range attacks. How were they supposed to help him if his opponent could close distance faster than he could blink.

He felt Zane's hand rest on his shoulder. "Do not worry, Kai. I think you have a great chance of winning."

"Are you kidding? I can't fight Ash. He's impossible to hit."

"This will be taken into account, I promise," Zane said, his voice reassuring. "If your competitor is stronger, they will most likely adapt the environment to your abilities. You're not at a complete disadvantage."

"Thanks," Kai replied. He looked at the board, searching for Zane's picture. "Who are you fighting? I can't find you on here."

"I assume that is because I'm not on there at all."

Zane was right. His face was missing from the board. Had it been some sort of error?

It didn't seem likely. What were they trying to do? Zane had to fight _someone_ to qualify for the final eight challenge. If it was because of the odd number of competitors, why hadn't they just set him to fight Jay when Karlof was eliminated? Karlof's picture was already gone. There was no reason for Zane to not be there.

"Do you know why?" Kai asked.

"No, I do not. Perhaps they are saving me for something later," Zane said. "I hope not, though. I would very much prefer to be in a regular match."

"Maybe they're trying make sure you make it to the final eight because you're an Ice Elemental," Kai suggested.

"I suppose that could make sense. However, I would be upset if that were the case. I don't wish for someone else to die so I can automatically qualify for something I don't want to be in to begin with."

What Kai wouldn't give for that luxury. He'd take the option to automatically qualify in a heartbeat. He didn't know if he could survive the final eight challenge if he even made it in the first place, but it would be better than dying during a regular match.

There was a light tap on Kai's side. "Sorry."

To make room, Kai backed up right into Zane and nearly knocked him over. He looked over his shoulder to apologize, and when he turned back, Lloyd was standing right in front of him.

Kai sucked in a sharp breath. Jay had forgiven Lloyd. Cole probably had, too. Now it was Kai's turn.

Kai moved until he stood beside Lloyd, then squatted so they were at equal height. "Who are you facing?"

Lloyd didn't look at him, continuing to focus on the board. "Chamille. I guess it's alliance versus alliance now, huh?"

Kai didn't laugh when Lloyd did. He was shocked. "You're . . . facing Chamille?"

Lloyd hadn't lied. It was right there on the board. Kai couldn't believe it. Chamille had scored at the bottom of the top five, sure, but the Form competitors won often. Did they seriously think an eleven year-old could compete against that?

"Yeah, I am. I'm pretty sure I can beat her, though."

"Why?"

"Because she's nothing special. As long as I don't fall for her mind games, my powers should be enough to take her down. What do you think?"

"I think that you definitely have a chance," Kai lied. Chamille would win that fight. No doubt about it.

Lloyd finally looked up and smiled at him. "Thanks. I hope so."

Kai stood back up. When he turned around, Zane was gone. When had he left?

Then it was just like when he'd awoken. The speakers around the lobby crackled to life, and the national anthem blared, startling Kai enough that he almost jumped. He could see Lloyd laughing out of the corner of his eye.

" _Good morning, competitors. I hope you all slept well,"_ boomed the voice of Master Chen. _"There has been a change in Tournament tradition. Instead of one match per day, they will be staggered according to the event. There will be three matches today. If you are called, please meet in the lobby. The rest of you will remain in the dining hall until further notice."_

Beside him, Lloyd crossed his fingers. Kai almost did the same.

" _The first match this morning, starting in one hour, is Speed vs. Gravity."_

One match down.

" _The second match, starting in three hours, is Mind vs. Nature"._

Two matches down. One more to go.

" _And last, but hopefully not least, is Smoke vs. Fire."_

Lloyd wasted no time. Before Kai could process what he'd just heard, Lloyd was pulling him down by the shirt collar to meet his green eyes. "My dad said that Ash is cocky. Always make sure he thinks he has the upper hand. You can win this. I know it."

Lloyd let go and ran to the dining hall just as a swarm of Tournament Guard entered the lobby. The man with the ponytail walked in behind them.

He smiled at Kai. "Good, you're already here. Don't move until the others are all present as well."

Ash was the only competitor that didn't look terrified. Even Griffin, who had seemed so easy-going during his interview, was staring at the floor. Kai didn't just have butterflies in his stomach. It felt like they were eating him alive.

The man with the ponytail made sure the competitors were lined up. He raised his hand, and memories of Kai's escape attempt at the infirmary flashed through his mind. Closing his eyes, he braced himself for what was about to happen.

"I wish you all the best of luck. And remember: _only one can remain_."

The man with the ponytail muttered a few words and Kai slipped into nothingness.

* * *

 Kai awoke in a white room. Like the last time he'd been put under by the man with the ponytail, he didn't feel like he'd awoken from a deep slumber. It was like he'd shut his eyes for a moment and then opened them again.

There was a couch pushed against the wall and a TV mounted on the opposite side. Kai stood from his sitting position on the floor and came face to face with a circular tube. Inside was the platform that would push him up into his arena.

This wasn't like the hospital. This was the Launch Room.

There was no way to tell the time. But he knew it wouldn't be long until he was sent up to die.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the filler chapter. And for the awkward ending. There’s going to be a lot of action and drama next chapter, so this was the best place to end it. 
> 
> I want to bring in a new system of updating. Instead of huge, long updates, why not have shorter updates but sooner? So maybe two chapters a month instead of one? I think it would make it easier to write and easier for you guys to read, too. Tell me what you think!


	11. Versus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Throws a bunch of exposition into this chapter* It was going to happen eventually, anyways.
> 
> I had SO MUCH FUN writing this chapter. I love action. I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Waiting in the Launch Room reminded Kai of waiting for the interviews. He paced anxiously back and forth, all alone with a blank TV screen as his only window to the outside world.

A lot had changed since the interviews. It felt as though within a few hours, his alliance had fallen apart. Now they were back together. Well, he assumed they were. Jay was talking to Lloyd and Cole again. And after what Cole had told him earlier, he had a feeling he could trust him more than ever.

Maybe a bump in the road was all they needed to grow stronger. Kai just hoped he would live to see it. If he lost to Ash, he would never see them again. He wondered if there was a way he could say goodbye.

The TV flickered a few times as it came to life. A deep voice sounded around the room from the speakers, counting down from 30. The screen was still dark. When the voice reached 15, the screen changed, displaying a large cherry blossom tree in a small rocky area. It was only when Griffin and Gravis rose from the ground that Kai realized it was an arena.

Ten seconds left. The two competitors faced each other, never taking their eyes off the other. Then the gong rang and the match began.

Kai stopped pacing and stood in front of the screen as Griffin took off from his platform. Gravis didn't take a single step, instead sitting down crossed-legged on the plate of metal and closing his eyes. If Griffin noticed that Gravis was leaving himself open for an attack, it didn't show. The Speed competitor continued to zip around the arena. He'd climbed his way into the tree at one point. The leaves rustled whenever he made his way through them.

The screen changed angles to reveal the location of the Jadeblade to the audience. It was carefully concealed among the blossoms, barely visible. Griffin would have to stop and take his time to find it.

So that was the advantage. Griffin's speed would lead to his victory over nearly every competitor in the Tournament. But the arena forced him to slow down if he wanted a chance at finding the Jadeblade, opening windows for Gravis to attack. Still, Griffin continued to run and Gravis continued to sit.

Griffin eventually began to slow down and look. After a few minutes of searching the tree, he found the Jadeblade and held it up above his head. Now the last step: killing Gravis.

Griffin scurried down from the tree. Back on the stone floor, he watched Gravis for a few moments. Griffin had returned back to his original platform, a short distance from Gravis. Griffin could cross it in a second. Probably less. Even then, Gravis didn't move.

Griffin took a step forward and Gravis' eyes snapped open. He waited until Griffin was halfway there, raising his arm to strike with the sword. Then he thrust his right arm forward and Griffin stopped dead in his tracks.

Gravis held out his left hand. The tree branches began to point towards the clouds. Loose stones and branches rose towards the sky. Anything that wasn't firmly planted was gone. Even Griffin's hair stood on end.

Kai hadn't noticed at first, but he now saw that Gravis was floating a few feet above the ground. His legs weren't crossed anymore and his eyes were narrowed at Griffin. A look of utmost concentration displayed itself across his face.

"Give me the Jadeblade," Gravis commanded. He lowered his right hand a little, and Griffin began to twist his torso. Gravis had given him control over the top half of his body again.

"What are you _doing_?" Griffin demanded. His voice wavered a little as he spoke.

"Look around you. Gravity is reversed. If I let you go, you'll float into space. Or maybe I'll return gravity to normal once you're among the clouds. Don't worry, the fall won't kill you. You'll die of a heart attack before you hit the ground."

Kai's hand covered his mouth. How _powerful_ was Gravis? He'd never heard of a Gravity Elemental that could reverse gravity before.

But Kai wasn't floating towards the ceiling. He didn't doubt that Gravis could reverse gravity, though he definitely couldn't make the effects span all over Ninjago. Not even the same island. It was probably concentrated in that one arena.

Did Griffin know about how Elemental power came from the hands? If he didn't, he definitely found out a few moments later.

Griffin moved his right arm a little, then rolled his wrist. He could still control the arm holding the Jadeblade. Gravis hadn't taken control of Griffin's upper body again.

"Please, don't do it," Griffin begged. Gravis didn't show any sympathy, so Griffin continued. "Just kill me with the Jadeblade. I don't want to die by falling and having a heart attack. I'm actually scared of heights, so _please_ , just—"

Griffin pulled his arm back and threw the Jadeblade as hard as he could at Gravis. Gravis' eyes widened and he brought up his right hand to stop it mid-air. The tip of the blade was a few feet away from his stomach.

Griffin didn't waste any time. No longer held down by Gravis, he dashed towards the Jadeblade, distracting Gravis once again. Gravis' head darted around, trying to find Griffin. But it was too late. The cameras didn't even catch it as it happened—they could only focus on Gravis as he fell to the ground, the Jadeblade pushed deep into his stomach.

Griffin stopped, showing himself to be right next to Gravis. Gravis wasn't dead yet. Griffin kneeled down next to him, putting his hand on the hilt of the Jadeblade. The cameras zoomed in on Griffin as he said, "Did you seriously think I wasn't fast enough to get you before gravity sucked me into the air?"

Gravis didn't respond. His eyes weren't focused on anything. Kai couldn't figure out if he was dead or not.

Griffin took a few steps away from Gravis and faced nothing in particular. "This arena was biased against me and I _still_ won. You think you can kill me this easy? I'd like to see you try and stop—"

The broadcast cut off. A moment later, Dareth appeared on the screen, sitting on the same stage the interviews had taken place.

" _What a wonderful start to the Tournament of Elements! Now, I've only been around for three of these. But I don't think another match can beat this one in intensity. Do you agree with me or what?"_

There was no audience this time, so no one could actually respond. Dareth continued to speak, and brought up clips of what had just happened, pointing out his favorite highlights.

It was a long time later that a knock on the door broke Kai's focus on the TV. He shook his head and turned to the door. Technology could really suck him in.

The door slid open and Sensei Garmadon walked inside. Kai hadn't seen him since they'd prepared for the interview—did they keep him around during the Tournament? He didn't know that.

Kai felt guilt boil in his stomach. His fight with Garmadon hadn't ended well. And the things he said about Wu that probably sounded so _terrible_ that Kai couldn't understand why Garmadon didn't punch him first thing.

Whatever personal connection he'd had with Garmadon because of his father was gone. He was no longer the same person that had asked Kai to watch over Lloyd. Instead, he regarded Kai with a cold indifference.

"I was asked personally to come down here and speak with you," Garmadon said. He gestured to the couch. "Sit down. This is important."

Kai sat down on the couch and Garmadon did the same. Unsure of what to say, Kai found himself picking at the skin around his fingernails until Garmadon spoke up again.

"You have a pretty strong alliance. Too bad they're all rule-breakers," he said. "You know, for someone so loud, I never would have expected Jay to be so quiet. The guards didn't even notice him when he slipped out of the dining hall to find me. I shouldn't be here either. But if you want a chance to win, this information is essential."

Garmadon paused, watching Kai. Kai supposed it was time to finally say something. "Why would you break the rules for me? I've never exactly been nice to you. I don't deserve any of the help you've been trying to give me."

"I never expected you to like me. In fact, I was confident that you would hate me as soon as we met. You have no reason to tolerate me at all," Garmadon said. "Don't you understand? Every terrible thing that's happened to you since your father entered the Tournament was mine and Wu's fault. We were the ones that convinced your father to sacrifice himself. And now you're here because of me."

Kai thought back to the man with the ponytail. He'd said that Kai had been chosen, but what did that have to do with Garmadon? "What? I knew I was in here for a reason, but the Tournament is almost always random selection. How would you know?"

"Look at your allies, Kai. Jay stole government information. Cole was one of the leaders of the rebellion in the Earth Village when he was fourteen years-old. Lloyd is my son. Did you see Griffin? Not a single person in this Tournament was randomly selected. You're all rebels and criminals. And what better way to quell an uprising than to force the leaders to kill each other?"

"I was never a rebel," Kai said.

"No. But I was—and in a way, I still am. My brother and I were great friends with your father by the time he died. If the matches hadn't been switched on us, the three of us could have made it to the final eight challenge and refused to fight. All three of us. That was the plan. But we couldn't do it. And now, to punish us, they put both you and Lloyd in the Tournament. Or maybe it's just to punish me. I don't know. I'm sorry, Kai. I'm sorry you were forced into something like this at my hands. I didn't want anything like this to happen. I'm sorry."

Garmadon stared blankly at the TV. Kai didn't know what to say. He couldn't think. Everyone was in this Tournament for a reason. Cole had thought so too, hadn't he? This was his death sentence. It was Jay's death sentence. It was _everyone's_ death sentence.

Except maybe his own. If the Tournament was rigged to kill off the rebel leaders, would they let him live? Him and Lloyd. They were going to be the only two in the end, weren't they?

That couldn't be true. Kai was in just as much danger as everybody—they couldn't prevent his death if Ash killed him. This wasn't a free ride. He could still die at any time.

Dareth stopped talking on screen and the thirty-second countdown began again. Halfway in, the second arena popped up on the screen. It was beautiful. A mystical dreamland, illuminated by a moon above. A simulated nighttime. On top of a small hill, a large rock pointed towards the sky. On the very tip of the rock was the Jadeblade.

Neuro and Bolobo rose from the ground. Ten seconds left. They weren't supposed to use their Elements until the match began, but Kai could see the way Neuro had brought his fingers to his temples. He was reading Bolobo's mind. Whatever plan Bolobo had conjured up in his head had already been rendered moot.

The gong went off. Neuro dodged a vine Bolobo sent his way and sprinted towards the rock, pulling himself up to find footing. Every time Bolobo tried to attack with his vines at a distance, Neuro was able to move an inch to the side and avoid it. Bolobo was obviously growing frustrated, so he wrapped his own waist with a vine and began to use it to push him up towards the Jadeblade.

Kai couldn't tell if this match was particularly slanted towards one competitor. It was flat, and while Bolobo could use his vines instead of climbing, Neuro didn't seem to be a slow climber, either. And he knew Bolobo's every move.

Or, he almost did. As Neuro pulled himself up to the top of the rock, a vine shot out and wrapped itself around his leg. Neuro cried out in surprise as Bolobo flung him off the rock and he hit the ground hard. Down on the ground, Neuro took his time to recover, standing up slowly. Meanwhile, Bolobo reached forward and grabbed the Jadeblade. Neuro looked up at him, then at his vine. He placed his fingers on his temples for a moment before dashing to the vine pushing Bolobo upwards, grabbed it in his hand, and yanked it down. Bolobo came crashing to the ground.

Neuro put his fingers on his head again as he backed away from Bolobo. Bolobo stood up, still holding the Jadeblade. Neuro put his hands back down and ran towards Bolobo, keeping his eyes on the ground. Before he reached Bolobo, who was ready with the Jadeblade, he jumped and kicked his feet out. All his weight and momentum crashed into Bolobo's left knee.

There was an ugly cracking sound and Bolobo screamed. He fell backwards, dropping the Jadeblade to clutch his knee in his hands. Neuro picked up the Jadeblade and the match was over when he brought it down on Bolobo's exposed chest. Right in the middle, too. He hadn't aimed for the heart.

Unlike Griffin, Neuro didn't have anything to say. He simply walked away from Bolobo, stepped on his platform, and waited to be brought back down.

The screen cut to Dareth again. Garmadon leaned forward and grabbed a remote on the coffee table. He pressed a button and the TV went silent.

"You're next. We got off-topic before, so let me tell you what Jay wanted me to say," Garmadon said. "Ash's attack patterns aren't random. _Always_ watch his eyes. He has to look to where he's going to teleport before he actually does it. When he disappears, it takes a little more than a second for him to re-appear. Always make sure you're turned to face him. And don't come up with a plan. They never succeed."

Garmadon stood up and turned the TV sound back on. He walked towards the door, swiped a card over a black panel beside it Kai hadn't noticed, and stepped into the doorway. He paused.

"If anyone deserves to win this whole thing, it's you. I'm rooting for you. Good luck."

The door shut. Kai leaned back in the couch, forcing himself to relax. There wasn't much else he could do until his match, anyway.

Kai wondered if the remote on the table could control anything other than sound. He was too afraid to touch it. He wasn't great with technology, and had a feeling it wouldn't go well if he played around with the TV. It was safer to just leave it be and watch Dareth go on and on about the previous matches.

Dareth did end up helping. He pointed out every competitor's battle strategy, including what worked most often in Tournaments and what didn't. Kai took note of what he said. Using their elements off the bat was a common tactic among competitors, but what worked most often was to hide their abilities until they needed it. Dareth said that for physical elements like fire and lightning, it was best to let the opponent grab the Jadeblade and then attack using the elements. They won't know what the competitor can do.

Everyone knew what a Smoke Elemental could do—they didn't come in a wide variety of skills and abilities. They could teleport and turn intangible. That was it. There weren't any extra skills to be learned.

Kai, on the other hand, had the advantage. Ash had no idea of what he could do. Only Skylor knew he could launch fireballs. If he saved his distance attacks until the very end, he could take Ash by surprise.

That was his plan. Easy to abandon, too. Garmadon would be proud.

The TV screen went dark and there was a knocking on his door. He stood up as two Tournament Guard entered his Launch Room. One of them pointed to the launch tube. "Step on your platform. Your match begins in sixty seconds."

Kai stepped on the platform. A clear tube slid down over him, encasing him inside. He pressed his hands against the glass. He took deep breaths, trying to steady his heart. He could do this. They wouldn't have put him against Ash if they didn't think he stood a chance.

The platform began to rise and he pulled his hands back from the glass. The Launch Room disappeared. Looking up, he could see nothing. Soon he was engulfed in darkness.

A bright light hit his eyes. He closed his eyes until the platform stopped, then blinked to become adjusted to the light again. It was hot, so hot it felt like the inside of the volcano in the Fire Village.

He stood on the edge of a cliff. A narrow, wooden bridge held by rope stretched out across an open space to another cliff's edge. The Jadeblade was smack in the middle of it. Ash stood on the other cliff.

Kai sniffed the air and felt the heat on his face. This was too familiar.

He knew exactly where he was: he was in a volcano. And it looked like he would be fighting on a rickety bridge where he could easily fall to his death.

The countdown from ten began. Kai struggled to think of a strategy as the numbers counted down. He couldn't think of anything. He could only stare ahead and Ash stared back at him.

A gong rang throughout the arena. The match had begun.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I stopped replying to comments a few chapters ago, and here's why: because I responded to all the comments, it made it look like I had WAY more comments than I actually did. But I still love and appreciate EVERY comment you guys leave—they make me laugh and grin like an idiot whenever I read them. Seriously, thanks for everything! The story wouldn't have gotten this far without you guys!


	12. Fire vs. Smoke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A lot of blood and violence in this one. I think this is like, the darkest chapter yet. But the end is a lot happier so it's not all too bad. Enjoy!

Kai took a step off the platform. He didn't have any disillusions of reaching the Jadeblade first. Ash was too fast.

Kai could only think of when he'd trained to swordfight with Nya. There was a lesson she'd loved, wherein they learned how to fight an opponent with a weapon when they had none themselves. He knew he was going to have to use what he'd learned when Ash appeared over the Jadeblade in a cloud of smoke less than a second after the gong went off.

Ash's head snapped up and, for a brief moment, they made eye contact. Kai kept his eyes on Ash's, but he couldn't see them clearly and he knew that Jay's trick wasn't going to work unless they were in close combat.

Ash disappeared and Kai whipped around to cover his backside, waiting for Ash to appear again. A cloud of smoke popped into his left field of vision and he jumped, gasped, and accidentally inhaled a lungful of smoke.

Backing away as fast as he could, Kai coughed desperately, trying to get it out of his lungs. That was when Ash chose to appear, materializing in a cloud of smoke right in front of him. Kai ducked when Ash swung the Jadeblade at his throat and took off for the bridge. Staying back was stupid. On open ground, Ash could appear wherever he wanted. On the bridge, he was limited.

 _This is the slant_ , he realized. His foot hit the first wooden panel of the bridge and it swung violently, forcing Kai to grab the rope to regain his balance. It was hard to run, but he kept going until he made it to the middle of the bridge. He turned around again to face the direction of his platform. Ash was gone.

Kai just had time to turn around again when Ash reappeared. Kai jumped back, narrowly avoiding another swing of the Jadeblade. Ash attacked again, and when Kai brought up his arm to block the sword, Ash leapt forward and smashed his palm into Kai's nose.

Kai stumbled backwards, hands shooting up to his face. Ash slammed into him, bringing Kai down on the bridge. The back of his head hit the wood hard and random colors spread across his vision.

Kai blinked and forced the colors away, focusing on Ash as he pinned him down with his knees. Kai struggled, but couldn't move. He was stuck.

Ash smiled, bringing the Jadeblade into view. Kai's vision swayed. Ash waved his hand over Kai's eyes. "Don't pass out, Fire. I've been waiting for this for too long."

Ash pressed the sharp edge of the Jadeblade on his right cheek. Kai winced as he began to drag it down, but then forced his eyes open again. Even if he was about to die, staring down his killer would be his last stand.

"You and your friends have been a real pain since the Tournament began, stealing the higher scores and one-upping us at the interviews," Ash said. "I promised my friends that if I beat you, I'd give the audience a show. How does that sound?"

Kai opened his mouth to speak and then choked on the metallic taste of his own blood. He started coughing, spitting blood right onto Ash's face. Ash scowled and clamped his hand over Kai's mouth.

Kai struggled again as Ash slowly slid the Jadeblade across his chin. When he finished, Ash showed the tip of the blade to Kai. It was drenched in blood. His own blood.

He was close. Kai managed to bring his head up and shift beneath Ash's weight, but Ash quickly grabbed his hair and forced his head against the wooden panels again. The world didn't blur this time, his pain keeping him grounded.

"Don't even bother, Fire. I'm going to kill you. Just like Chamille is going to kill that little friend of yours. What's his name? Lloyd? Well, I'm going to kill you first. Then we'll get Lloyd. And when the lovebirds are all alone in the final eight challenge, we'll kill them too. Maybe we'll make a show of them, and force the big one to watch as we make Jay hurt all over. Do you like that idea, Fire? Too bad you won't be around to see it happen." Ash took the blade and lowered it over Kai's left eye. "Now, where should I go next? Your face again?"

Ash brought the blade down over his left eye, cutting the skin around it. Kai shut his eyelid to stop the blood from getting in to his eyes.

"How about your arms?"

A long, clean cut on his upper right arm. Then a few more on his left. Kai tried to cry out, but Ash's hand muffled his voice.

"Why don't I cut that stupid flame off the back of your hand?"

Ash took his hand off Kai's mouth and reached down, grabbing his right wrist. Kai tried to pull his hand back but Ash's grip was like iron. Ash brought Kai's hand up to his eyes, looking it over.

"I remember getting my brand twelve years ago. It hurt for days," Ash remarked. His eyes narrowed. "A lot has changed since then. The rebellion came in and spread like a sickness. Do you think I _wanted_ an uprising? I couldn't go outside. I couldn't do anything without getting in trouble. No one could. And then my sis—well, I'm sure you understand what it's like to lose someone you love. And do you know whose fault it is? Whose fault it is that all of this happened?"

Kai shook his head. Ash laughed.

"Of course you don't. Your village is too busy choking on fumes to know anything about the real world," he hissed. "Well, I can tell you whose fault it is. Your stupid dad's, Fire. Him and the Garmadon brothers. And you and all your annoying rebellious friends."

Kai clenched his jaw as Ash traced the outline of his brand with the blade. He tried to push back again, and in his efforts, his left arm swung over the side of the bridge. Ash didn't notice as he took control again. His focus was on Kai's brand.

His left hand free and out of sight, Kai flicked his left wrist and felt flames form in his palm. His eyes darted around, looking for something he could use. Then he saw it: the rope holding up the bridge.

Reaching his arm up, Kai wrapped his left hand around the rope. It caught fire just as Ash noticed what he was doing.

In a rage, Ash punched Kai in the throat. "What are you doing? You're going to kill us both!"

Kai grabbed the side of the bridge, ready for what was about to happen. The rope snapped and the entire bridge flipped over, sending Ash and the Jadeblade crashing towards the lava.

Kai held on, struggling not to let go. His legs dangled freely, his entire body supported only by his arms. He refused to look down. For a moment, he thought about bringing up his legs and using them to bear hug the bridge, but then a canon boomed and he knew he was safe.

He heard the helicopter before he saw it. A ladder descended from the sky, and he heard someone yell for him to jump. Kai swung his legs to build momentum, then kicked out and let go when he reached his peak. He grabbed the rungs before he could fall down, holding on for dear life. The ladder rose towards the helicopter, and a hand reached out for him when he made it to the door. Kai grabbed the hand and used it to pull himself inside.

It was Garmadon.

"Congratulations, you won. How does it feel?"

Kai brought his hands to his face. They returned slick with blood. He stared at his hands for a long time, never answering. He didn't know what to say.

* * *

Dr. Julien dropped another white cloth into the pile. He took a fresh one out of a drawer, turned on his swivel chair, and pressed it lightly to Kai's cheek. Kai sat patiently, waiting for it to be over. He just wanted to be alone.

Dr. Julien didn't give him bandages this time. Instead, he rubbed gel from a small container over all of his cuts. "This will heal you faster than the bandages. The cuts are going to scar, though."

Kai shrugged. He didn't really care. Nobody left the Tournament without a few scars, anyway.

"Fortunately, your nose isn't broken. No damage to your head, either. You're pretty lucky."

Dr. Julien gave Kai a few painkillers for his head and instructed him to sleep as soon as possible. His body needed some rest.

It was only late afternoon when Kai returned to his suite. He was going to feel hungry later. Was there a way he could get food brought up to his room? He could ask one of his allies to do it, but he didn't want to see them now. He didn't know if he could bring himself to even look at them.

They watched his fight. If it could even be referred to as such. Kai had won, but he'd lost, too. Ash had defeated him. Kai didn't deserve to win. Were they going to be disappointed, or happy that he'd survived in the first place? That was the better word—he hadn't won, he'd survived.

Kai brought up his hands to his eyes. Dr. Julien had cleaned them when he'd arrived, but it always felt like the blood was still there. Like it wouldn't wash out no matter what he did.

His own blood. That wasn't Ash's blood, or Karlof's blood, or anyone else's blood. It was his own blood. The blood Ash had drawn out of him on national television. The blood that had once run down his face, and arms, and spilled into his mouth. The blood Ash and the other Packers must have been so happy to see after everything his father had done to them.

Why couldn't he have fought back? Looking around, Kai's eyes settled on the pillow. He took it in his not-bloody hands and threw it as hard as he could at the wall. It bounced off the paint and fell uselessly to the floor.

Something about it wasn't satisfying enough. Kai stood up and looked around more, searching through drawers until he found a small screen much like the one he'd used to control the window in his bedroom back in Ninjago City. Tapping it, he found himself presented with a variety of options. One of which was room service.

He selected everything on the menu and sent the order. In a few minutes, there was a knock on his door. A Kabuki rolled a large cart full of plates of food inside, bowed, and then backed out and shut the door. Kai approached the cart and pulled it to the center of the room, looking at the pillow and the wall. Then he looked back at the cart.

He hated wasting food. But there was so much of it, so much of it that they were able to bring it up to him on demand. He barely had to wait. That was how much there was. How much of it was wasted on everyone here. All these people that were going to die in a matter of weeks.

Kai took a bowl in his hand. A small salad was decorated with petals inside. He didn't look at it again and then threw it as hard as he could against the wall. The bowl shattered and its contents spilled all over the floor.

He threw a plate. Then a glass. He threw the dishes at different walls, watching them shatter all over the floor and spill glass into the carpet. It was only when the cart was empty that he sat back down on his bed, his entire body racking with sobs.

He was an ugly crier. His face turned red, his cheeks puffed out, and everything about him always seemed bloated. But he wasn't just sad. He was angry. Angry at himself. Angry at Ash. Angry at the Tournament.

Crawling on his bed, he took the other pillow and used it to muffle a scream. To soak up his tears, and wipe the stupid gel off his face. Who cares if his cuts started bleeding again? He didn't. Maybe if he let himself bleed, the Packers would let him go. Maybe they wouldn't kill Lloyd, or torture Jay. Maybe they'd just leave them all alone and they could go about the Tournament like normal competitors that weren't split up because of a rebellion out of their control.

When Kai pulled the pillow away, he could see red on the pillowcase. He ripped off the pillowcase and threw it away. But the blood had soaked through and stained the actual pillow. He threw that away, too. He'd slept without a pillow before. He didn't need one.

At the sound of a screen door opening, he whipped around to face the doors to his balcony. Skylor stood in the doorway, her eyes wide as she observed the chaos.

She took a step inside, shards crunching under her boots. "I heard you from my room. Kai, are you okay? What are you—"

The sound of the breaking glass did it for him. Sent him over the edge. "Get out! I don't want to see you! I don't want to see anybody!" Kai shouted. When Skylor didn't leave, he yelled again. "Just get out! Leave me alone!"

He used his hands to cover his face as he felt the tears come back again. The screen door shut. Kai peeked through his fingers. She was gone.

He laid prone on his bed, resting his head on his arms. A heavy weight settled in his stomach and the urge to smash dishes returned, but the cart was empty and calling up a Kabuki to deliver food was a bad idea. They'd just get him in trouble.

With a groan, he reached forward and tapped the base of the lamp next to his bed. His room dimmed, leaving only the fading sunlight to illuminate his room.

He didn't know how much longer he cried for. But eventually, he closed his eyes and fell asleep. It was time to finally follow Dr. Julien's orders, anyways.

* * *

 

When he awoke, the sheets of his bed were tucked neatly over him. He moved his feet and hands, feeling the cold, silk fabric run over his skin. It was so soft. Maybe even softer than his bed in Ninjago City. He didn't want to leave. Ever.

But that wasn't an option. He knew it wasn't. Slowly, he rose to a sitting position on his bed and looked around the room, shocked. The dishes were piled in one corner, his pillows were back on his bed, and a glass of water sat precariously close to the edge of his bedside table. He pushed it back an inch so it wouldn't fall over.

There was a note next to the glass of water. Expecting another note from Dr. Julien, he rubbed his eyes before picking it up to read it. It read in scribbled handwriting, _Feel better soon! –C, L, and J (and S)_

Cole, Lloyd, Jay, and . . . Skylor. Kai read it over a few times to make sure he was reading it correctly. They'd been in his room. No doubt they were the ones that cleaned it, too. That was why Skylor left—she'd gone to go get them.

Groaning, Kai threw his head back and hit his head on the backboard of his bed. Ouch. Bad idea. He reached back and prodded the back of his head with his fingers and winced. It was definitely bruised.

Whatever painkillers Dr. Julien had given him were certainly doing the trick. There was no way he wouldn't have a splitting headache otherwise. Kai wanted to thank him, but remembered suddenly that his matches were over. He wouldn't be seeing Dr. Julien. Ever again.

His matches were over. He had a free pass until the final eight challenge. The fight with Ash hadn't given him much confidence about what would happen when he inevitably had to fight Shade or Toxikita, but if what Garmadon had told him meant anything, they were probably going to try to get the rebels to kill each other before the other competitors.

Were there other, non-rebel competitors besides himself and Lloyd? Garmadon made it seem like every single competitor in the Tournament was a rebel. If that was the case, why did Ash hate the rebellion so much? Ash had cut himself off when talking about it. He'd lost someone he loved. His sister.

Kai could only imagine what had happened. Maybe the guards killed her, so Ash had joined the rebellion out of revenge. After all, what reason did a Smoke Elemental have to rebel? They were wealthy. They had no problems with the Tournament. The spread of rebellion to the Smoke Village seemed pretty illogical.

There was always something, though. A spark. Small, or big. Like how Cole revealed the secrets about the poison gas to try to incite rebellion in the Fire Village.

He wondered what the Fire Village was like now. Had Cole been successful? Was there rebellion there now? What was Nya doing? He hoped she was okay.

There was no way to know, so he shook the thought out of his head and stood up. He headed into the bathroom, where he took a quick shower and watched the blood from yesterday wash off his body and go down the drain. He got out, dried himself off, and found a drawer full of spare uniforms. He slipped a new one on, tied his bootlaces, and left his room.

Whatever feelings he had yesterday felt distant. But still within reach, like one wrong thing could tip him back over the edge. He needed to keep a level head. Once the final eight challenge began, he wouldn't have privacy anymore. What would the sponsors think if he had an emotional breakdown every time he lost a fight or killed someone? It didn't look good for him, or the Fire Village.

He hesitated before opening the doors to the dining hall. His allies weren't mad about his almost-defeat, but they'd seen his room last night. Had they seen his face, too? The way it was coated in blood?

The door opened and Kai came face-to-face with Toxikita. Being this close, he could see her green freckles, and the patches of discolored skin turned a pale green. Barely visible from far away. It told him one thing, though: she was a mutant.

It was common for those in the Poison Village to develop epidermic mutations. The village was in what used to be the toxic bogs, so its inhabitants were surrounded by poisonous gas. Outsiders never lived there—they died too soon—but those who'd been there for their entire lives were immune. Immune enough, that was. Over time, they developed mutations. It started at the skin. Then it moved inside to the blood, and from the blood, to their hearts. Then it killed them.

Toxikita's eyes were a bright green as she glared at him. Staring at her now, Kai wondered if she'd ever helped poison his village. If she'd killed his mom and nearly killed him too.

That was unfair. She only looked a few years older than him—she never would have had the chance to poison his mom.

She broke away from his gaze and walked away, towards the staircase that led up to the suites. He was surprised she didn't say anything. The Packers were pretty talkative.

It was now or never. Kai stared straight and pulled the door open, taking a hesitant step inside. Nobody paid any attention to him as he avoided his allies' table and discreetly made his way to the food counter. He let the Kabuki behind the counter pile more food than necessary on his plate, took a deep breath, and went to his allies' table.

It was a small booth in one of the corners of the room. At first, they didn't notice him and kept talking. They were leaning forward, speaking in hushed voices. Their conversation fell silent when he put his tray on the table and took the empty seat next to Lloyd.

Cole looked at him. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. Thanks, for everything," he said. "You guys really didn't have to do that."

Cole shrugged. "It's no big deal. We're allies, Kai. It's what we do."

"If it makes you feel any better, we're all pretty freaked out, too," Jay added on. "I barely got any sleep last night, thinking about what Ash said."

"Which is why we need to plan ahead from now on," Cole said. "Now that we know Shadow and the others have it out for us, we need to figure out what Lloyd's going to do during his match against Chamille. And what we're going to do during the final eight challenge."

"Don't forget that you have a fight, too," Jay said.

Cole rolled his eyes. "Yeah, against _Light_. I'm not too concerned," he said. "Anyways, we need to focus. Shadow's alliance took a blow when Ash was eliminated. As long as Lloyd beats Chamille, we'll outnumber them four to two. Those are some odds I think we can all work with."

Kai couldn't help but think back to what Zane had told him on the boat. The other competitors feared his alliance nearly as much as they feared the Packers. If they got rid of Chamille, would they replace the Packers?

But becoming a Packer also meant turning on his team. It meant living in constant tension, knowing he could never quite trust them. Kai could trust his team. That was what they'd built their alliance on—trust, not skill. And so far, it was working in their favor.

He knew Lloyd had the potential to beat Chamille. Chen knew, too, or else the fight wouldn't exist in the first place. Form against a Garmadon. Needless to say, there was a reason it was one of the last matches of the general rounds. It was definitely going to be entertaining.

Cole was right. They could win this. All four of them could make it to the final eight challenge.

Kai sat back in his seat and took a deep breath. He didn't want to think about what was going to happen when they made it that far, or how long their alliance was going to last. For now, if he tried hard enough, he could convince himself that maybe, just maybe, everything was going to be okay.


End file.
